Lullaby
by Colonel Hawkeye
Summary: He's a candidate to be Furor, and someone wants him dead. How far is she willing to go to protect their family?[Post Brotherhood]
1. Big News

**Daddy's Gonna Sing You a Lullaby**

Roy was prepared for a lot of things. He was prepared for the fall of King Bradley. He was prepared for the final battle with the Homunculi, even though he wasn't expecting it to come the way it did. He was even prepared to step down from his position because of what he'd done to find out what happened to Hughes. He wasn't prepared for the day that Riza, his favorite subordinate, told him she was pregnant.

For him, it was the most life-altering news; aside from finding out he was blind.

She stood before him in her usual attire, her hair upswept in a twist, held in place by a clip. She was standing at attention, her breathing ragged. The blonde was quiet as she spoke, her words were hauntingly thin. This meant bad things for them. She could never tell anyone who the father was, and as much as it pained him, he could never see his own child. She knew that as well as anyone. If the military knew, they would transfer her and take the child away. It had to remain a secret.

He took a ragged breath and folded his hands. "And…you're sure?"

"Yes, sir." She murmured, never dropping formalities. Her whole body seemed to go rigid. She could remember the night the child was conceived fairly well. It was shortly after the fight, after they had both recovered from their wounds. It was small gestures that led to this place they were at now. At first, she wasn't sure about it. Everything they did had to be in secret.

She was at his apartment, helping him recover from his wounds, the wound on his abdomen giving him trouble again. She was careful not to touch too hard, but he still flinched away from her. Both of them carried scars that neither wanted to face. He gingerly touched the scar on her neck. _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you well enough,_ he'd whispered to her. She merely offered a smile back and answered; _it isn't your job to protect me._ Before she knew it, one thing had led to another, and, even being blind, Roy knew his way around.

A bright blush rose to her cheeks and he couldn't help but smile softly. So she _did _remember. "What do you intend to do?"

"I had hoped to speak with Furor Grumman about this," She replied, folding her arms behind her back and entering parade rest. "Perhaps I could get some time off towards the end, this way I can deliver her safely and put her up for adoption."

The word _adoption_ caused a sharp pain in his heart. She wouldn't possibly put their child up for adoption, would she? He didn't ask right away, he'd save those questions for later, when they weren't under constant surveillance of the military. "_She?_"

"It must be a girl," Riza replied with a tiny smile. "I would never buy pink for a boy."

He leaned back in his chair and turned to stare out the window. There were so many things he wished he could say. There were so many preventions they had taken to not get this far in the relationship, but it still happened. He wasn't sure what this meant for them, but he knew it was bad. The man narrowed his eyes and put his head in his hands. "You won't regret putting your own flesh and blood up for adoption? Even when your mother was scarcely absent in your life?"

She raised a brow and her eyes widened slightly. He didn't really bring that up, did he? The blonde looked away, staring at the floor. "I suppose I would regret it, in the long run. But I don't see any feasible option at the moment, sir. And if they knew the circumstances behind this unwanted pregnancy, I'm positive the military would probably hang the man responsible."

"A price worth paying," He replied casually. "How did you come to find out this information?"

She turned back to him, staring at the back of his head. "It came up in the routine physical," She murmured, staring away again. "Sir, I would like to request a leave of absence."

He didn't turn to her; he didn't speak for a long time. He knew what was going to happen next. He couldn't stop her from what she was going to do. "…granted."

Clicking her heels, she stood at attention again. "Thank you, sir."

* * *

Several days passed before anyone heard from Hawkeye again. She had left a quick message that she was ill and couldn't return to work that day. Havoc was the first to question it, but Roy shut him down rather quickly by saying she probably had a cold, seeing as it was snowing outside. He told his subordinates that he would check on her that night, and make sure everything was okay.

He arrived at her apartment around nine, seeing the lights on inside. There was a shadow of a man, sitting at the kitchen table with her. Roy tapped on the door and waited for her to come open the door. Hayate began to bark long before she got there.

"General…" She spoke breathlessly, having run to get the door. "…I wasn't expecting you here."

He walked passed her, ignoring her formalities, eyeing the man at the table. "Hawkeye, who is this?"

"A doctor. He was sent by the military to assess the situation." She sat back down and nodded to the man at the table. "His name is Joshua. He specializes in maternal needs."

"I don't like this one bit." Roy casually observed.

"As I was saying, Miss Hawkeye, what you're asking me to do isn't common practice. It's practically playing God, going against anything that the alchemists stand for." The man continued, ignoring Roy. "Not to mention it's quite unethical."

"If I keep the child, they'll make me retire," Riza mumbled quietly. "I swore that I would protect my superior, what good am I if I'm no longer by his side?"

Roy wondered how much this man knew. He clenched his fists at his sides and turned to Riza, ignoring formalities. "You weren't going to ask me how I felt about this. You were just going to go and do it? I respect you, I love you, I would give up the world for you, I would give up my position for you, but you can't even stop to think of my feelings on the matter?"

"Is this the father?" Joshua inquired, staring at the uniform casually. "I should have suspected as much. Your office romance has been the talk of the military for quite some time. Someone in your position should be far more careful, general."

Roy froze in place for a moment. This man knew? He looked away. "Both of us grew up without parental figures. It's unfair to take away something that this child will have. What makes us right to decide that this child doesn't need a family? Look at what happened to us? Is this the life you want to live, Hawkeye? Honestly, do you want to spend the rest of your life taking orders from me? You always talked about parenthood, about how Hayate was your baby, but you'd wanted something more." He knelt down and took her hands in his. "You've got the family you've always wanted. Don't give this up, Hawkeye. You'll regret it."

"He's right," Joshua answered with a nod. "I won't report the fraternization to your superiors, but he has a very valid point. I respect your wishes, Miss Hawkeye, but what you're asking is far from common medical practice. I cannot grant you your wish."

"She wasn't going to put him for adoption?" Roy asked suddenly releasing her hands. He turned on Joshua, his voice dark. "What was she going to do?"

Joshua got quiet, which fueled Roy's temper far more.

"Tell me!"

Riza's tiny voice broke through the awkward tension. "I was going to have him kill the baby."

The fear that struck him was immobilizing. He fell to his knees again, his eyes widened with shock. All that time he'd spent trying to convince her to keep it, and she'd already decided to kill it? His voice broke as he spoke again. "If…if that's your decision…"

She nodded sadly. "I swore I would protect you. This will not get in my way."

"W-what about adoption?" His voice was small, trembling like a leaf in a cold wind. He wanted a family with her more than anything, even if it meant retiring early. "I'll talk to Gracia or Winry…"

Riza shook her head. "Winry has her hands full with Maes and Nina. I don't want to add to that burden. And Gracia is old, I'm sure she doesn't want another child."

"So, you've decided then…" Roy whispered, standing to his feet. His hands were clenched, but he didn't speak to her. "Then so have I."

She looked up at him in shock, wondering what he could possibly be referring to. "Sir?"

"If you kill our baby," Roy whispered with sadness dripping from his voice. "Then I'm handing in my resignation tomorrow morning. No…I'll do it tonight; because I won't want to be the reason for another death that could have been prevented. And I sure as hell don't want you protecting me if you can't even protect the most precious thing to me."

As he left the apartment, slamming the door in his wake, Riza was left staring at the table in silence. He'd spoken his peace. "He'll be hanged."

Joshua nodded. "It seems this is what he wants."

"But…I can't protect him from himself," She whispered, her voice trembling. "He'll be killed for this."

"At this point, does it really matter?" The doctor questioned, packing up his tools that were used to check her vitals. He stared at the young woman for a very long time, blue eyes scrutinizing her. "If you kill your child, Miss Hawkeye, you'll be no better than those men you wish to take down. It would make you a murderer. I know you don't believe in killing innocent people; you said as much when I first arrived. So why murder someone who doesn't have any fighting chance? Is that a fair battle?"

As the doctor left her in silence, she sat staring at Hayate. "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Roy arrived late to the office the next day. He'd spent most of the night praying to a God he didn't believe in to change her mind. He had never wanted anything as badly as he wanted this. The man hadn't slept and yawned as he walked angrily to his office. When Kain stopped to ask how Riza was doing, Roy's reply was terse and angry. Kain backed off and told the others that the General was in a bad mood.

He froze when he saw Riza sitting in the chair in civilian attire. He gently let his hand fall off of the door and closed it softly. "I don't want to see you right now," The man growled with a sardonic look. "I would just regret ever having a relationship with you."

"I know," She whispered, trying to shake the look of murder in his eyes. Those eyes that pierced through her soul and caused her whole body to grow cold. "We need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about, Hawkeye. You made your decision. You weren't going to include me, and that's fine. After all, it is your life." He sat at his desk and folded his arms. "But whatever you do, make sure you never include me again, because I'm no longer part of your life."

"This is a deal breaker for you? I thought you loved me!" She screamed bitterly.

He looked down at his gloves, shaking his head. "This was before I knew you were still murdering innocent people," He growled. "We swore after that fight with Envy that we would never kill innocent people again. That was this whole mission; to protect more innocents from dying! Did you forget that, Hawkeye? Did you forget our purpose? Because you sure as hell never let me forget."

"I know," She shrieked again, her voice shrill. He flinched noticeably, realizing her voice was cracking because she'd been crying the night before. "I know." She whispered this time, looking back to her hands. "I came to hand in my resignation. Grumman says he understands, but he still wishes that I would eventually come back if time will allow it. I'm not sure that I will. Doctor Joshua informed me that there's no safe procedure…that wouldn't kill me along with it…so I decided to put her for adoption. Then I realized you were right. We can't willingly deprive a child of the things that were forcibly taken from us. She has a right to know her family. So, I decided to keep her. And then I thought about it longer and longer, and I didn't realize why this meant so much to you. But, you were willing to sacrifice what you hold dear in order for me to see that you were serious about this." She calmly explained, fidgeting with her hands. "So, I'm going to keep her."

He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, his heart racing as he listened to her words. "You resigned…?"

"I couldn't let you do it, sir. This is your dream, not mine. I followed you to protect you, but you don't need my protection anymore. You're fine on your own. So, perhaps it's time I move down a rank and protect something else that's precious to you." She gave a tiny smile, but her hair covered her eyes. "She deserves those opportunities, too."

"_She_…" Roy whispered, the realization finally hitting him. "Move in with me."

Riza looked startled for a moment. "Sir, I can't do that…I have a home in East City…I take the train to work every day…"

"I know, I went there last night, remember?" He smiled and stood his voice jovial. "Move in with me. If you live in Central City, I can see you more often, even when I'm working. And just because you're not with the military doesn't mean I can't hire you as a private contractor to protect me. The possibilities are endless!"

"I don't want guns around the baby," She murmured absently. "I don't mind teaching her how to use them, or teaching her alchemy, or whatever the case may be – but I don't want guns around her while she's young."

Roy nodded in agreement and stood to close the distance between them. Kneeling down in front of her, he gently touched a hand to her cheek and pushed her hair behind her ears so he could clearly see her eyes. "Thank you, I know this was a hard decision for you. You didn't have to do this for me."

She moved her hand to maternally rest on her abdomen where she looked at him with quiet amber eyes. "I did it because I felt it was time for me to do something right for the world. I did it because you felt so strongly about this…because she deserves a chance to grow up and be happy, like everyone else. Because killing her…makes me no better than that woman I was at war."

"Hawkeye, it's okay." He gently touched her hand with his, using his thumb to caress her tears away. "It's going to get better from here, I swear. But I want you to know that I won't leave your side." He smiled sadly. "I don't have a ring. I wish I did. But I want to marry you, Lieutenant. I have since the day I came to live with you. I knew I wanted to spend my life with you."

"Sir, I…"

He cut her off and continued. "I know it's a leap of faith for you, you're not used to commitment. But you're no longer bound by the laws of the military. You can do this, please. I'm sure he'll want a real family, and not some half-assed thing we call a family."

"It's Elizabeth." She answered her voice small. "And we're having a girl."

"Not if I have any say in it," He said with a smirk. "Now, where were we? Oh, right. Marry me, Hawkeye."

Her body trembled slightly as she broke down in tears. "Of course I want to marry you. I'd be stupid to say no."

"I'm glad you see it my way," He answered, bringing her close. She shifted so she was on the floor with him, her hands covering her face while he wrapped his arms around her slender frame. "I love you."

"I know."

* * *

_We're just gonna say that Riza's OOC-ness is because of her hormones. I've wanted to do a "daddy Roy" story for a while. This time, I don't plan on killing anyone. ;)_

_Read and review, please?_


	2. You're Late

AN: I feel like I need to point out a continuity error that I made. I know no one mentioned it in a review or anything, but I'm going to mention it because it will drive me up a wall if I don't. In the first chapter, I mentioned that Roy was blind, but then later said he wasn't. I want to explain the continuity. He was, for several months. This story takes place almost a year after the events fighting Father. I'm going to go on a limb here and say that he regained his sight maybe a month after the child was conceived, so Riza is at four – maybe five months at the beginning of this chapter.

* * *

_Hey, little girl, with the pressures of the world on your shoulders, don't say that it's over._

After a long battle about moving in together, Riza finally reluctantly agreed that perhaps it wasn't so bad to be around him after all. His apartment was much smaller than hers, it consisted of an office, his bedroom, a smaller open area where he'd set up a couch and table, a kitchen and bath, and that was mostly it. The office had nice light from the sun and the moon, but otherwise, it was pretty dreary. She'd brought little trinkets with her to make it seem more like home.

She hung a photograph of the company on the wall, Hughes was present for this one, and it was one of her favorites. She stood back to admire her handiwork.

It had taken him three months to convince her to move in with him. The only reason she agreed was because she'd slipped on the ice weeks before and felt it might be better to have an extra set of hands if something happened. She looked back at the wall and couldn't help but feel it was still far too bare for her tastes. Perhaps she'd fill it with pictures of the baby later.

Though she was still wary of motherhood, Roy was taking to fatherhood fairly well.

He'd renovated his office space on the one day he had off. It became a pseudo nursery for now. He'd gone out and picked out pink drapes, much to her dismay, and hung them. This was confusing to her because he kept saying that he wished it was a boy, but he was buying girly things. He even managed to find a wooden doll for her to play with, with curly blonde hair, and bright blue painted eyes. It sat nestled in the rocking chair under the window. The white crib in the corner was hand made by Izumi's husband, who turned out to be rather talented at wood working, and painted by Roy. She was rather startled when she came back from walking Hayate to find this.

She eyed the clock and realized that it was rather late. Though he wasn't home to help her that day, he had told her that it was okay for her to do whatever she wanted to renovate his bachelor pad. She'd discovered a half-empty bottle of whiskey on top of the book shelf, and questioned it, but decided not to do anything with it. She knew how he got when he needed a drink. Shuffling into the kitchen, she turned on the stove and began to boil water.

He'd be home soon; surely he'd want some tea.

* * *

Roy was startled when he came home and saw lights on in the third floor window. He'd owned the whole top floor of the apartment complex, which wasn't actually that large, but since it was just for him it wasn't much of a problem. He could see the curtain drifting in the breeze, but there was no one else moving around in the apartment.

Shifting the paperwork into his other arm, he climbed the steps up to the apartment. There was hesitancy in his footsteps as he came to a stop at the door. As he struggled with the key to open the door, he stopped in the doorway, in awe at the scene before him.

Riza had apparently fallen asleep at some point during the night, her tiny body curled up on the sofa, her arm resting gently over her abdomen. He couldn't help but smile at her. She looked so calm and peaceful. The teapot was sitting on a cloth, on top of a tray, along with two mugs for tea. He couldn't tell if she was waiting so she could talk to him, or just doing what she felt was appropriate. This was the first night she'd been there alone, so he wasn't quite sure what to expect yet.

As he moved to put the stack of paperwork on the coffee table, and hang his jacket beside the door, he couldn't help his next move. She was a war-hardened woman, and he'd likely lose a limb, but he wanted to do this. He took the folded blanket off the back of the couch and laid it over her body, kissing her forehead. To his surprise, she didn't wake, she didn't stir. She stayed in that same position, breathing softly.

He sat in the chair across from her and started going through paperwork.

Riza stirred softly and sat up, looking around the room. The lights were on, but she couldn't remember falling asleep. She looked over at Roy, raising a brow. He smiled at her and put the paper down on the table, eyeing her from across the room. "How did you sleep?"

"I don't remember falling asleep," Riza whispered softly, brushing her hair behind her ears. "When did you get home? Oh! The tea is cold!" She stood sharply to go fix the tea and he reached over to touch her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Calm down, its fine," He smiled gently and looked down at the pages. "I decided since it was already late, and I was behind, I'd bring my paperwork home with me today. I missed having you around to nag me to get it done."

"I'm glad I was good for something, sir." She sighed and rubbed her temples, standing yet again to get the tea set and take it into the kitchen.

"You can stop calling me sir," He murmured, putting the pen that he was fidgeting with onto the stack of papers. Something had her upset and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so moody today?"

"_Moody_?" She hissed bitterly. Her voice far louder than it should have been. "You think I'm being _moody_? You didn't even call to tell me you were going to be late! I _waited _for you!"

He shrank back slightly, knowing that she was right, he hadn't called. Biting softly on his lip he nodded. "I'm sorry, I should have said something. I just didn't want to spend a night in the office; it's so…lonely there without you. I wanted to come home and spend time with my family."

"The family you don't want?" She inquired as she leaned on her hands against the countertop, her hair falling to cover her eyes.

"What are you talking about, Riza? If I didn't want this, why would I be doing my best to make sure you were okay? Why would I have asked you to move here?" He sputtered, trying to think of the words to say. He couldn't calm her down; he was just as confused by this as she was. Gracia and Winry both warned him there would be unfathomable mood swings, but this was not something he was ready for. If he had known, he would have prepared a witty argument; but the last thing he wanted to do right now, after a long day at the office, was fight with her.

"You didn't go to the appointment with me today. It was at six. You were supposed to be home." She answered calmly, her hands trembling against the countertop. "If you don't want to—"

"I'm sorry!" He shouted, quickly closing the distance between them. "I'm sorry. I got caught up talking to Furor Grumman, I just…I guess it slipped my mind. I was so excited, too. I wanted to go. Is he healthy? Is everything okay with you and the baby?"

She nodded hesitantly and turned to look at him, her eyes puffy. "I can't stop crying though. Just when I think I finally stopped, I fall apart again. I don't know what's gotten into me. Everything is so different now. I guess since I have nothing to worry about, the first thing I do is worry. I just wished you'd been there with me…I don't like doctors, you know."

"I know," He wrapped his arms around her body and closed his eyes against her shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. At least everything is okay. I know how much you hate bad news." He smiled softly, tenderly kissing the scar on her neck. "I won't lose you again, you know. I refuse to let you go twice."

"I know," She replied casually, kissing his neck back. "Just…if you're going to be late or miss an appointment, please call ahead of time so I know not to wait up for you."

He nodded and moved his hands so they glided seamlessly to her hips. "Elizabeth, I love you."

"I know." She replied casually.

This upset him greatly. They were going to be starting a family together, why didn't she say she loved him back? He sighed and pulled away, moving back to the living room where he decided to finish the paperwork. "You should get some rest."

She nodded in agreement and followed him, tugging his hand away from the papers. "So should you. Come with me. Please. I know you had a nightmare again last night, you shouldn't be alone."

He smiled softly and looked away. "No matter how many people are in the room, I'm always going to be alone."

"Please come with me, Roy." She tried again.

He sighed and gave in.

* * *

It was half-passed five and he had to get ready for work at six. He didn't want to wake up. Comfortably nestled against his body was his precious subordinate, sleeping rather calmly. She'd started shivering in the middle of the night, so he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her protectively and refused to let go. She hadn't moved much, but usually she suffered from fairly bad nightmares as well. He rested his hand over her stomach and felt for the movement of their child.

She hadn't gained much weight in the few months since she'd found out. It worried him constantly that she was still as tiny as ever. Gracia said that by this point she'd been almost 140, but Riza was still only 120, and he was concerned that it was because she wasn't eating. He sighed and kept his hand splayed out against her abdomen, feeling no movement.

Had she lied to him?

She stirred and rolled onto her other side, her face just inches from his. She moved her head so she was nestled against the crook of his shoulder, where he kissed her forehead. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"We've been over this, I don't like pet names," She answered groggily. The blonde woman began to tremble again, so he yanked the blanket up to cover her shoulders. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." He sighed and kept his arms wrapped around her body. "You're sure he's okay?"

Confused for a moment, she didn't respond for some time. It took a moment or two for the math to add up before she answered. "She's fine," She whispered. "Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure. I don't want to say goodbye to him yet," He answered, kissing her hair again. "You'd tell me if there was a problem?"

"Of course," She replied, knowing they were both lying to each other. She wouldn't tell him. She moved his arms so she could get up and quickly ran off.

He paused and watched her, sitting up as she ran off. This was new. He'd never been in the same room as her since she moved in, so he wasn't sure what was happening now. As he heard the retching noises, it became clear that she was sick. "Riza, are you ill? Is everything okay?"

"I could do without this part," She answered between coughs. She hung her head against the sink, shaking it slightly. "It's the worst part of this whole experience."

The ebony haired man went into the bathroom, knowing it was probably a little against etiquette, and tugged her hair gently behind her head. "I imagine so. Is it always like this?"

She nodded and began all over again. He flinched away. When she stopped and wiped her lip off, she sighed. "Every morning, around the time you leave for work. I guess this is her way of seeing you off. Gracia says that may be why I'm not gaining much weight. She said her morning sickness only lasted the first few months. Winry's was the first few months also. Mine…well; I guess I'm just not so lucky."

He ran his fingers through her hair and sighed. "You are lucky. I care a great deal about you. You could be alone right now. Didn't you say Winry had to go through most of her pregnancy alone?"

Riza nodded and stood. "I think the worst of it is over," She commented casually. She didn't turn around. "Could you leave me be for a while. It's kind of a ritual."

He nodded and left the room, but she never closed the door.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, lacing his boots, he stole a glance at her every so often. She'd lifted her shirt to stare at herself in the mirror. Her fingers swept over her stomach, gingerly touching and prodding. Nothing happened; he wondered what she was expecting. This must have been such a shock for her. He frowned and wondered if maybe he should have let her kill the baby.

She looked up startled, which caught him off guard as well. Their eyes linked in the mirror and he knew she'd spotted him. "Roy, come here."

She never used his first name. He looked up at her again, going into the bathroom. She stayed still, eyeing herself in the mirror. She touched her stomach again and looked up at him. "Give me your hand." When he hesitated, she grabbed his hand and moved it to her stomach. He didn't know what to do. She flattened his hand out against her abdomen. It was odd how his hand was almost as big as her stomach.

His hand hovered there for a long time, he was unsure of what to do. Suddenly, out of the stillness, there was a soft movement. He blinked, eyes widened with terror. "Does that hurt?"

"No," She smiled brightly. "It's just a strange experience for me. It's like there's a tiny person doing cartwheels inside me. I wasn't sure at first how it was supposed to feel, but the butterflies never go away. She really likes your voice. When you talk, she gets so excited. She's such a daddy's girl."

"Well, that's not so absurd. Have you met her daddy?" Roy inquired with a slight laugh. His hand remained in its spot for a long time; he wasn't sure when he was supposed to move it. Riza gently laid her hand over his. "You know, you're going to be Elizabeth Mustang soon. And we'll have a tiny Mustang running around here, and you'll never know what hit you."

Riza nodded, her eyes showing emotion for the first time since they found out about the impending parenthood. The blonde moved her hand away to stare at him for a long time. "She's going to be a heartbreaker."

"If she looks anything like you, I guarantee it."

"I thought you wanted a boy?" Riza inquired softly, staring at him for a long time.

He smiled, laughing nervously. "I do, but, I think we're having a girl. No son of mine is going to kick like that."

Riza laughed and threw herself against his body, holding him close. It felt weird touching him again after so long of being apart. They'd only given in that one time because of the near-death situation. But now they were living together, engaged, and expecting a child. It was such a shock to both of them that Riza was the one having trouble adjusting. Roy stopped going on dates days after he found out about the baby and Riza fought with him that this shouldn't' change the dynamic between them, she he could still go on dates. He'd firmly told her no, that he wanted to be a father first, and a husband to her second. She blushed when he said it.

He gently pushed her hair back and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to work now."

For the first time since they'd found out, he noticed the maternal instinct. Riza gently laid her hand on her stomach and waved as he left. "Don't worry; I'll take care of her while you're gone."

"You better," he commented slowly. "I'd hate to hear what she has to say if you don't."

* * *

_I'm getting a little annoyed with the "he said" "she said" thing I have going on here. I'm also finding it really difficult to write these chapters from Riza's point of view. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of Roy being a dad, but I don't see Riza taking it so easily. She doesn't seem like "mother" material. So yeah, this is chapter two. There are more. I'm just waiting to write chapter five. It's my favorite, and it was the first one I actually wrote before doing these._

_You'll get to meet "daddy Roy" in chapter five. =)_

_As always, read and review. Please._

_Also, thank you XxXPeaceReaperXxX and Fmalover07; you guys are literally the sole reason I updated this._


	3. Unexpected Visit

Riza lay nestled softly against Roy's arms. He noticed that she seemed to fit perfectly. His hands were laced with her fingers, his other hand gently rubbing circles on her tummy. She'd awoken at some point during the night to tell him that she was feeling sick, and he needed to move. He'd come to find that if he rubbed his hand in circles, it didn't make her as nauseated. So that's what he did, from the moment they went to bed, to the moment she fell asleep, which usually wasn't very long.

Riza had been very reluctant to be a mother. She had an intense fear of being like her mother, and dying during childbirth. Roy explained to her multiple times that he wasn't going to let that happen, and, as her former superior, his order from the tunnels still stood. Roy needed to remember to have a discussion with Joshua about this later. She'd expressed to him that she was afraid to get close because part of her was still in that military mindset. She'd been that way for a decade; it was a hard habit to break. He admitted that it was somewhat difficult for him as well, but he wished she'd give it a try. She agreed, and it seemed that they weren't so different after all.

Even as he lay in the perfect silence of the November night, Roy couldn't help but think that nearly everything he ever wanted was right there in his arms. Sure, he could stand for a few changes. He wished she'd say she loved him more. He was hoping that someday (sooner, rather than later), he'd get to hold his son in his arms for the first time. He sighed and moved his hand from her stomach to run his fingers gently through her hair. "Goodnight, my queen."

He started to drift to sleep, only to be awoken several hours later by an incessant pounding on the door. Since he was unsure of who it may be or why; he gently removed his arms from their perfect spot, and kissed Riza on her forehead. Moments like this made him glad she was a hard sleeper.

Throwing on a white under shirt, he sighed and walked through the apartment, running a hand through his unruly hair. As he crossed through the living room, he couldn't help but notice the huge mess of papers on the table. And although Riza agreed to the "no guns near the baby" rule, she still took them out to clean and service, even though they got locked in a box under the bed. Since Riza believed in the _thirty foot rule_, she was never without a gun.

He yawned and opened the door, raising a brow at the elderly, graying man in front of him. Instantly sobering up, Roy stood at attention. "Furor Grumman!"

"I know it's very early in the morning, but I had marvelous news I just had to share with you." The elderly man explained, never missing a beat in conversation. He pushed passed Roy, ignoring his salute, and went to sit on the couch.

Roy, still in shock, stood staring at the steps before closing the door. "Sure, come in, sir." He replied rolling his eyes before closing the door. "Elizabeth is asleep."

"Its fine," Grumman explained in a hushed tone. "I heard tell I'll be a great-grandfather soon! I can't wait." He had admitted after nearly losing his granddaughter in the fight against Father that he was her blood relative. Riza, though shocked, never seemed very surprised by this revelation.

"I'm going to make some coffee, would you like some as well, Furor?"

The man nodded and looked at the paperwork. Most, if not all of it, was paperwork regarding the Ishval Compromise? He'd made a lot of progress with the foreign nation, even being welcomed to the country as a brother, even if his practices were not so welcomed. Scar had helped quite a bit, as well as Milo, making sure that all the leg work was done. And while Roy took visits to oversee his own work, he still couldn't find it in his heart to want to leave.

The elderly gentleman sobered up, the laughter missing from his voice as Roy started to make the coffee. He sighed and paged through the paperwork before tossing it back onto the table. "General Mustang, as you know, I plan on retiring when my granddaughter settles down with a suitable husband."

Roy watched him from over the counter and listened intently, taking two mugs from the cupboard and placing them onto the counter. "I've been hearing this around the office lately."

He nodded voice gruff from years of experience. "I'm sure you're also aware that in order to be considered as a candidate for Furor, you have to at least be the rank of a General?"

Roy hesitantly nodded and poured the hot liquid into the two mugs, placing them onto a tray before bringing them into the living room. He placed the tray onto the table, sliding his paperwork to the other side. "This has been common knowledge since the day the military was formed," Roy replied. "They tell you when you enter the academy."

Grumman nodded and graciously accepted the coffee, sipping at it gingerly. It was nice because it was drafty in the apartment, but also because it was six in the morning. "I'm sure you're aware that there were three people in the running," Grumman continued, pausing to savor the aroma of the coffee for a moment before putting it down on the table again.

"Were?" Roy questioned, sipping at his own mug of thick-as-mud coffee. "What do you mean by _were_?"

"The transfer in the running from East Headquarters has declined to continue in the race." Grumman quietly replied, staring at Roy for a long time. "This leaves just you and Olivier Armstrong."

Roy's heart began to pound in his chest. Two was a lot more bearable than three. The general public would be more inclined to vote for a female, but he was sure he could get votes on his side. There would be a long campaign process, traveling, perhaps even press time. He wasn't so sure he was ready for all of it. He looked down at his hands and shook his head, taking another sip of coffee. "Who are you voting for?"

Grumman smiled. "That should be obvious; the man my granddaughter is going to marry."

Roy smiled back, sitting in silence for a long time, watching the man in front of him. He was old, worn, and had seen more than his fair share of war. Grumman had mentioned numerous times that the only reason he stayed in office this long was because the competition for the position was too fierce. He could swing vote, but he didn't want to ruin the population's chance at a democracy. This would be the first election ever held in Amistris.

"Whatever happens out there, General, remember that you are going to be making history." Grumman cautioned, taking a drink before putting the mug down. "But I don't believe that the competition will be very fierce. Olivier is a wonderful woman, a powerful woman, but she has a habit of trying to buy votes. I suspect the public would be more accepting of someone that's on their level."

Though he couldn't deny the elder man was right, he still felt like something was missing. He couldn't expect the country to vote for him when he'd broken the fraternization laws, and that was bound to get out at some point in the slandering. "What about Hawkeye and me breaking the law? Won't that paint me in a negative image?"

Grumman shook his head and pointed to a stack of paperwork. "Granted, you've done some pretty awful things over your time in the militia, but you've made improvements where no one else could. You've made progress in the Middle East, you've helped bring down a terrorist ring, and you even went on your own to investigate the death of a beloved soldier. To those people, you're practically a national hero – not to mention the hero of Ishval."

He grimaced at the title. "I never liked that title."

Grumman nodded and looked towards the bedroom door. "That woman in there gave a whole lot to get you where you are now, General. It would be a waste to let it all be in vain. She sacrificed a position for you, so you'd better not be planning to go down without a fight."

The younger man nodded and looked towards the door as well. "Do you remember anything about her mother?"

Grumman nodded. His daughter was precious to him. "She looked just like Elizabeth. She was blonde, but her hair was much shorter. Her eyes were a shade of purple that I'd never seen before in my life. She always had a smile; she was such a happy woman. Emily loved to be in the sunshine, digging about in her garden. She met Berthold by accident; they were both at the same park at the same time. He'd been messing with chalk on the ground, and she'd been walking her dog. Emily died when Elizabeth was born, she had ended up with a fever just before going into labor, and it turned out to be pneumonia. At the time there was no vaccine or cure for it. They said it was a miracle that my granddaughter survived. Berthold took Elizabeth. He knew it would be the only heir he ever had, so he made sure to teach her everything he knew about alchemy…until he met you. Nothing that happened to you was an accident, General. You're here because the fates have a plan for you and my granddaughter."

Roy stared down at his reflection in the mug, wondering if this elderly man was right. He could hear movement in the bedroom, most likely Riza waking because of the morning sickness. Sure enough, feet hit the floor and started running. He hung his head and sighed. "I can't believe I put her into this position."

Grumman smiled slightly. "Her mother was the same way when she was pregnant; very sensitive to the movement, too. They say you shouldn't feel movement until four, probably five months, but her mother started at as little as three." He sighed quietly and watched the younger man's gaze. "You really do care far too much, General."

"I know," He murmured. "I'm sorry to leave you here, please, make yourself at home. I want to make sure she's okay."

Grumman nodded and started to go through Roy's paperwork. Typically the man would leave, but since Roy was practically family, he felt it was okay to stay a little while longer and visit with his granddaughter.

Roy came into the bedroom to see Riza with a shirt, trying desperately to button it over her slight bulge. There wasn't much to look at, but it was still painfully evident that she'd finally put on weight. The man closed his eyes and took her hands when she got frustrated and stopped trying. "This is really hard for you, isn't it?"

"Everything is changing so quickly." She sighed and fell onto the bed, pouting as she looked up at him. "What am I going to do when I'm further along and don't fit into _any _of my clothes anymore?"

Roy sat beside her and gently pushed her hair back. "We'll worry about that when the time comes, but for now, just take it one day at a time. You weren't sick as long as usual, I guess that means your morning sickness is starting to go away."

She hadn't considered that. The woman stared down at her stomach, grimacing at the pudge. "I don't fit into my clothes anymore."

Roy smiled and ruffled her hair slightly. "It's okay, you'll fit into mine. Just borrow some of my shirts and we'll take you shopping when I come home today. I need to find you a nice dress anyway."

"What's the occasion?" She inquired.

"I can't treat the mother of my child to something nice?" Roy pouted and folded his arms. "Sheesh, fine, I won't help you anymore."

"No, no! It's fine. I just…was wondering what you were planning?" She asked with a blush. "I mean, something changed in you, and I want to know what it is. Why are we buying a dress?" She asked again, reaching into a basket of laundry for one of his button down shirts. She wriggled into a pair of his slacks, barely hanging over the top of them. When she caught him looking, her blush got even brighter. "What!"

"You're adorable," He answered, placing his hands on both sides of her stomach. "You're beautiful. You're amazing, and awesome, and spiteful, and mean, and sometimes a little bit nasty, but overall, you're beautiful. I love every single thing about you, even, as much as you hate it, your teeny tiny baby bump."

"Teeny tiny! I'm _huge_!" She shrieked.

He flinched slightly and looked up at her, shaking his head. "No, you're not even close to how big Gracia was…and Winry probably takes the cake on this one since she had twins, but you're not nearly as big as you think. Most people don't even realize you're pregnant until you tell them."

She frowned and sat beside him again. "I'm hungry." The woman grumbled childishly.

Roy smiled and kissed her forehead. "The queen demands sustenance."

"Don't you dare start with that queen stuff again!" She followed him out of the room and paused when she saw Grumman sitting, rummaging through files. She wondered for a moment if Roy was aware of his presence, then blinked as he walked right passed the furor to the kitchen. "Uh…sir?"

They both turned to look at her questioningly. Riza decided to take the easy way and smiled at Grumman. "Are you hungry, Grandfather?"

Grumman stared at Roy from the living room. "A little, but I wouldn't want to impose."

"Its fine," Riza murmured, laughing softly. "I'm interested as to why you're here. So while he's making breakfast, I guess we can catch up."

Grumman sat down and caught Riza up on all of the incidentals he'd talked to Roy about. As Roy placed the plates of eggs and pancakes down in front of them, he spied a look at his girlfriend, wondering if she was thinking the same thing as him. When she spoke up, he was positive she was. "…what about the fraternization?"

"The public will be willing to overlook it because you resigned from your position. Should you go back, it will become an issue." Grumman explained, munching on eggs.

Riza nodded and stared longingly at the food in front of her. She didn't make a move to eat it yet. "I won't be able to go campaigning with you," She continued, looking up at Roy. He hadn't considered the damage his job would cause to his family. "You can for the next two months, can't you?"

"I would have to talk to my doctor," She answered sadly, using her fork to push around the food. "I don't think it will be okay."

"Elizabeth," Grumman murmured, swallowing. "I know that you feel like your mother's death is a foreshadowing of your life, but that isn't the case. You are healthy as an ox; I don't see anything wrong with you. Live a long, full life, full of happiness and joy. You have that opportunity that you were robbed of as a child. Explore, show the child the world." He looked to Roy, eyes scrutinizing him. "And you! Have you considered a name for the baby yet?"

Roy looked at Riza and nodded. "If it's a girl, Ruth. If it's a boy, Rowland."

"Ah, sticking with the tradition of R names, I see." He smiled and stood, offering his dish to Roy. "I'll be off, I'm sure you want to spend time with your wife-to-be before the campaigning begins."

Roy gave a sidelong glance at his paperwork. He didn't think he'd be doing much "time spending" with her at all while this stack of papers was in the way. "Thanks, I'll do my best to get everything ready for next Wednesday."

"What's next Wednesday?" Riza asked skeptically, swallowing hard.

He sighed and sat next to her. "Well, I planned on announcing our engagement at the debate. I don't know how well that will go over, but I don't see us going down just yet. And if we do, it'll be kicking and screaming."

Riza nodded, suddenly becoming pale.

Roy froze. "Elizabeth?"

Just as Grumman closed the door and started down the steps, Riza threw up on Roy's shoes.

* * *

_Okay, so maybe I was a little misinformed about the "chapter five" thing. Maybe it will be later. I didn't realize how much I wanted to play this out. I had said in the previous chapter that I didn't see Riza as "mother" material. It isn't because she's not maternal, because I can see it in her interactions with Ed and Al; the problem is I'm viewing her as a soldier. She just doesn't strike me as one of those people who would want children right away. If that makes sense _at all_._

_Anywho._

_Please don't expect constant updates; they'll be fairly sporadic. I'm just having a few days off from work and some inspiration. If you haven't noticed - if I have positive reviews, I tend to update right away after getting 1 or 2. If not, I let it sit until I get 1 or 2. LOL_

_Also, I mentioned above something called the "Thirty Foot Rule". In a show called Chuck, one of the characters, Sarah, was a lot like Riza. She mentioned that spies live by a rule called the "Thirty Foot Rule", meaning they'll always have a gun within thirty feet for easy access._

_I want to come right out and say it; XxXPeaceReaperXxX, you keep apologizing to me because of long reviews. I love when they're long. I've been known to leave reeeeaaaaaallly long ones. I like when people offer input into the story, especially since I get sidetracked easily and stop the storyline where it's getting good, or forget my purpose. I don't actually know where I'm going with this. I'm just writing because I wanted to. I have _always _wanted to do a story like this, and just never had the patience to do it. __**Hopefully **__somewhere along the line I'll stop with this "He said" "she said" bullshit, because it's starting to get on my nerves. I bet it would help if I'm not writing at 1am, either. Lol_

_But thank you. XxXPeaceReaperXxX and Fmalover07. You two are, without a doubt, the only two driving me to continue this._

_As usual (and sorry for the long AN) read and review. ;)_


	4. Under Control

Sheska had been placed in charge of helping Roy write his speeches and debates for the campaigning. He wasn't really sure that Sheska was the best person to do it, but since Grumman insisted on her expertise, he took the help. The brunette was very quietly across the desk, scribbling away in a notebook, stealing a glance at Roy every now and then to be sure he was still paying attention. "General, what platform are you campaigning on?"

"The one they put me on," He commented casually.

Sheska shook her head rapidly. "No, sir, what platform? Olivier is campaigning based on the military, and the advancement of opportunities within the military. What is the situation near and dear to you, that you feel will bring in votes?"

He looked down at his hands, tugging at his gloves for a moment of silence. "Ishval."

"What about Ishval?" She questioned, scribbling down more notes.

Roy sighed. "I want to try and reverse some of the damage we did there. I know we can't bring back the dead; lord knows so many people have tried, but we can at least allow them to return to their home. It isn't fair to leave them in homes and force them to live the way they are. This military has done so much damage to other countries; I find it hard to believe I support them in the first place."

"You're hoping to change that?" Sheska inquired softly.

He nodded sadly. "I'm hoping to make the world a little bit of a better place for my son."

"Lieutenant Hawkeye says it's a girl," Sheska countered with a laugh.

Roy smirked. "Don't let her fool you. It's a boy; I know it deep in my heart."

"I'm going to laugh if you're wrong," Sheska replied as she closed the notebook. Grumman had appointed Sheska to be Roy's personal secretary, and she wasn't doing a half bad job of it. He could do without her teasing though. "We should get moving if you don't want to be late for your four o'clock appointment."

Roy nodded and grabbed his jacket from the chair, putting it over his shoulders. Nodding to Sheska he smiled softly. "Lead the way, since you know where this radio station is."

She nodded and started walking to the cars underground. Opening the door for him, he got into the passenger side in the back, and she slid into the back seat next to him. The military had chauffer's for the higher ranking officials, so Sheska took the opportunity to speak with him while on the drive. "How is she doing?"

"Fairly well, adjusting has been hard on her, though. I can see being inside all the time takes a toll on her. I just don't feel letting her out in the snow is a great idea. She is, after all, the one who fears suffering the same fate as her mother." Roy answered, running a hand through his hair. "I suspect she may be leaving the house when I'm not there anyway. But she knows how to protect herself, and I trust her judgment."

"She's a strong woman, and you're lucky to have her by your side during this. It's going to get difficult, and I'm sure you know that. People will be looking up to you as a saint, and you have to make them believe you're a decent guy." She paused and tapped a pen to her lip. "It's no secret that Hawkeye got pregnant while still serving under your command, which may pose a problem later in the campaign. It may make it difficult to sell you as a law-abiding citizen."

"I'm not," Roy replied quietly. "If I was, Hughes' murderer would still be alive today."

"Yes, of course, you have a point there." She smiled and put the pen down. "Have you decided on a name for the baby yet?"

"Ruth," He answered slowly. "And if it's a boy, Rowland."

"Rowland?" She inquired.

He nodded and looked away, eyes dark. "Yeah, but I don't want to explain the significance right now. What am I doing at the radio tower today?"

"It's just a formal ceremony to get to know the candidates. They'll be asking you questions, and you answer them as honestly as possible. Don't let Olivier trip you up; she won't be in the room, seeing as hers was done already. You probably should have listened to her broadcast to get a feel for what you're up against."

"I'm up against Armstrong's large and intimidating sister, what else is there to know?" Roy sighed and stepped out of the car when it came to a stop outside the formidable building. "I guess its show time, isn't it?"

Sheska nodded and followed him into the building. "Don't worry, I'll be in the room with you, so you won't need to worry about falling into a trap." As she sauntered beside him, he smiled back at her every so often, glad to have her there.

* * *

"I'm here with General Mustang, of Central City. General, why don't you start off by telling the people outside of Central a little about yourself?" The announcer began, spying a look at Sheska carefully.

"I've been serving with the military for sixteen years,"

"So you were privy to the Ishval war?" The announcer inquired.

Roy sighed and clenched his fingers tightly. "Yes, they called me _The Hero of Ishval_."

"Ah, that's right; we're dealing with the formidable Flame Alchemist here in the studio. Well, general, aren't you afraid that your part in the war may cause people to be wary of voting for you?" The announcer inquired. "Or are you sure that this will play out to your favor?"

Sheska slid a paper to him, and he started to read off of it. "It's no secret that I've been working alongside of other soldiers to help rebuild the Ishvalen country. My company and I had served there, and it has taken more of a toll on us than losing our comrade did. Our goal is to rebuild their land and eventually allow them to return to their homes. I understand that the damage I did was devastating, but with the help of our translators as well as the few Ishvalen friends we've made, we've made considerable progress."

"How soon do you propose they may return to their country?"

Roy looked at the notes and shook his head. "Sooner than it takes me to get into office, I hope."

The announcer chuckled and looked to Sheska again, wondering if she was in charge of his speech, too. "So, it's been brought to the public eye several times about the fraternization laws. Do you intend on addressing this issue during your campaign?"

"Yes," He gently slid Sheska's notebook back to her, shaking his head. He wasn't going to use her notes this time. "During my time in the military, I met and fell in love with one of my subordinates. She had been by my side for my entire life, and it was hard not to develop feelings for her. Upon my request to keep the child, my subordinate did indeed resign from her position. She has no intention of coming back as long as she lives. I do admit that what we did was wrong, and there's no changing the fact, but I respect the public can understand that you don't choose who you fall in love with."

The announcer looked shocked, mouth agape at his response. He hadn't expected such a straightforward answer. "And what of the child?"

Roy smiled. "We're going to keep him. And I plan on marrying his mother sometime in the next year, preferably after the campaigning is finished. I understand that this is a big deal to the public, seeing as having a child out of wedlock is a huge mistake on our part. Regardless of circumstance, we've decided to raise our child as best as we can, without question or consent from the public eye."

"You're not concerned for the wellbeing of your child? There are many people out there who deem you an enemy, General."

"I get this, granted, I've considered myself an enemy for some time. I trust that the mother of my child can protect herself. It isn't as if she's gotten used to being outside the public's scrutinizing. Her family, after all, does come from military successors." He sighed and wondered why he had said that.

"That's right! Her grandfather is Furor Grumman! You're not afraid that this relation may cause a downfall in your plan? After all, the public may view it as favoritism."

"General Grumman placed the election because he felt that deeming me a successor may be viewed as favoritism, and Miss Armstrong is a very formidable opponent, there's very little to not like about her. I trust that the public, as well educated as they are of their candidates, will choose whoever is fit for the position." He smiled and looked at his watch. Hopefully this would be closing up soon, he promised to meet Elizabeth at six.

The announcer nodded again and smiled at Roy, his eyes shining. "So, are you having a boy or a girl?"

Roy looked up, startled. "Oh, well, it looks to be a girl, but I'm pretty positive it'll be a boy. The child's mother had expressed that we don't find out until it's born."

The announcer nodded and smiled to Sheska. "Well, that's all the time we have for today. Stay tuned next week for the debate." As he clicked the button to turn off the broadcast, Roy stood to put on his jacket. "So, who's this beautiful creature?"

Roy sighed. "Sheska, are you ready to go? I do believe I have a meeting today."

The brunette nodded and followed behind him, ignoring the looks of the announcer. "Sorry, sir, maybe some other time?"

The man nodded and smiled as she left.

* * *

"There's no way you can lose!" Riza announced, sitting across from him at the table. She twirled her fork in the spaghetti, watching him closely as he nodded carefully. "And, of course, thank you for not telling everyone in the country who I am."

He nodded and smiled at her. "Blue looks good on you, Hawkeye."

She stared down at the blue, form-fitting dress that Sheska had delivered to her. Apparently Roy had picked it out, and Sheska sent a foot-soldier to deliver it while they were at the radio station. It was a gorgeous shade of blue, almost a sky blue. Though it didn't hide her shame, she was glad he picked it out. The long slit up the length of her calf to her thigh was enough to allow for free movement. "You're just saying that because you picked it out."

"You're right," He announced, folding his arms slightly as he leaned back in the chair. "But my statement still stands. Blue is the only color I can ever see you in."

"I'll be wearing white for the wedding," She commented with a smirk.

He laughed absently. "You can't wear white, you're not a virgin."

She looked up at him, eyes full of sadness. Even though he was right, she had hoped to get passed those stereotypes. Just like she had come to discover that she wasn't as strong with this tiny person inside her. She found herself being less reckless and protective, and more reclusive. She stared down at her hands, shaking her head. "You're right. I'm not."

Quickly abandoning his seat, he came around to kneel beside her, taking her hands in his. "Listen, I didn't mean to offend you, I just wanted to get a smile out of you. You've been so sad lately. I know I haven't been around a whole lot, and I haven't been talking to you much…everything else is kind of keeping me from you. But this is our dream, isn't it?"

"No," Riza whispered. "This is _your _dream. I'm just here for support. Roy, you could get to be furor just as easily as you could without me. You don't need my help. You don't _need me _at all."

He hung his head in shame and looked up at her. "You're right; I don't need your protection anymore. But I do need your support. I do need your love. Elizabeth, you don't realize how badly I want to quit. There was this one blonde woman at work though, she kept telling me not to give up, because I needed to do something. And I swore to her that if I ever strayed, she was allowed to kill me…so, I'm sure you can understand why it's not an option to quit right now. I'm pretty sure our baby needs their daddy, just as much as this country needs a strong leader."

She nodded, her hair falling over her eyes. "You're right, I'm being selfish. I'll support you, General. I'll be beside you until the day you fall, may we both go together."

"Now, now, back the truck up. No, I don't want you dying. I don't even want that to be an option. Someone has to take care of the ten children we'll have." Roy snickered.

"TEN! No! You get one and you get happy or get gone!" She shouted at him. Several people in the restaurant turned to look at them. Roy gave a shy look before taking her hands again. "What are you doing?"

"In this room, full of all the highest ranking officials in the military, I would like to ask you, Elizabeth Hawkeye, to do the honor of becoming my wife." He hung his head and waited, ashamed of the reaction he was sure to get. If she didn't shoot and kill him right there, she was going to do much worse when they were alone. To his surprise, she leaned down and kissed his lips softly. With a whispered yes, the room erupted into applause. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

She nodded and watched him stand to his feet. "I'm glad you think this is such a funny prospect to you, but it really isn't to me. I take my life very seriously and I want you to know that when we get married—"

The sentence never left her mouth, since he'd kissed her.

* * *

Two days later, she sat on the bed, watching him go through his usual routine. He hadn't done much in the past few days, except eat, sleep, read paperwork, and go back to the office. She started to feel lonely. So when he announced he was going to Resimbool to do some campaigning, as well as get some off-time, and he wanted her to go with, she couldn't help but answer with an ecstatic yes. Though her happiness didn't last long.

Roy finished buttoning his uniform when he noticed her sitting with her feet curled under her, her head hanging low. She was quiet for a long time, her voice barely over a whisper. "What's wrong, Riza?"

She looked up at him, her voice tiny. "I…I think we lost her."

Roy's eyes widened as he fell to the spot beside her, bringing her hands into his own and rubbing them gently. "What do you mean we lost her?"

"I passed out last night; I swear it wasn't anything I did. I just got dizzy…and this morning when I woke up, there…there was blood…and she hasn't been moving…" She looked down and closed her eyes. "I couldn't protect her, I'm sorry."

Roy brought her into his arms and closed his eyes tightly, both of them fighting tears. "We'll call the doctor and have him come look at you…I refuse to believe that our daughter would give up."

"I…already called him," She answered with a tiny semblance of a smile. There was a knock at the door before Roy could say anything else. "…that's probably him."

Roy nodded and gently pushed her backwards on the bed. "You lay down, I'll bring him in. I don't want you making things worse for yourself." Kissing her forehead, he left the room.

At the other end of the door was Joshua, standing tall with his medical kit. He almost seemed to be mocking Roy when he opened the door. Joshua didn't even wait for formalities. "She's in the bedroom, right?"

Roy nodded. "Yes," It was all he managed to utter before the younger man entered the bedroom. Fear overwhelmed him and he started to realize for the first time that maybe, maybe giving up was the only thing he could do. Olivier wouldn't do _that _bad of a job, would she? As his feet idly carried him to the bedroom, he couldn't bring himself to look at the woman he loved, to see the shame he had caused her. She didn't want this anymore than he did, but to lose the baby would be just as bad as what they'd done.

Riza looked up at him with terrified eyes as the doctor prepared to examine her.

Roy stared back at her, tears forming in his own eyes.

_What had this done to their relationship?_

* * *

_Guess who decided to make this into an actual story and not just a series of unrelated chapters? Yup. I have an actual storyline in the making for this, so stay tuned for the greater things to come lol. I'll be changing the title and description very shortly, so don't be startled. The title should become "Lullaby", so you'll still recognize it when it comes up in your email. Also, a sounding board would be amazing. I don't want to give away spoilers for the story, but I need someone who can give me ideas._

_I'm writing this, literally, in the five minutes before work, so if it's terrible I apologize. I'm fairly tired. Please bear with me as I work through my stupidity to give awesome updates._

_Also. Angst. And cliffhangers. Oh mmmyyyy._

_Read and Review? Greatly appreciated. Just one is all I need to continue. ;)_


	5. She Is Love

**She Is Love**

Roy sat in the middle of the living room, paperwork scattered all about him. Joshua had taken Riza to the hospital several hours ago, and Roy couldn't bring himself to go with. Instead, he buried himself in his paperwork while she was walked helplessly to the car. He couldn't say a word to her. He couldn't find the words to express his sorrow. So much had happened to them in the last few days, he couldn't even stop to think, let alone breathe. He tried to hide his pain in his paperwork.

There was a faint tap at the door.

Slowly standing, still having not changed out of his uniform, Roy crossed the distance to find a very confused Gracia standing there. He offered her a shy smile, but she knew he was falling apart. Gracia came into the room and stared at the stacks of paperwork, shaking her head. "What happened in here?"

"She lost the baby," Roy quietly whispered, falling back into his place on the couch. "I…I couldn't go see her. I was just…so much better off when she was my subordinate. Having her around, knowing how much stress I put her under…how could I do that to someone I swore I loved?"

Gracia gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know." She paused and quietly studied the apartment. Hayate lay on the ground outside the bedroom door as if expecting her to wake up any minute, but she wasn't in there. The woman frowned sadly. "How long ago was it?"

"This morning," He looked down at the paperwork on the table, spying a glance at a letter that Riza had been working on. She'd sealed it, and scrawled a nice R on the front of it. It wasn't meant for him to read; it was meant for the baby. She'd slowly been coming to terms with being a mother, but it was hard work. Gracia was helping a lot with her doubts. The man looked up at his best friend's wife, sorrow in his eyes. "What would Hughes have done?"

She smiled sadly. "He'd wait until I was better and try again." The woman never took off her wedding ring, no matter how much Elysia protested and said she should. "This shouldn't be a reason for you to fall apart. There's so much more that's devastating. Losing a baby is hard, losing a husband is hard, but life continues on."

"She didn't want the baby in the first place," Roy answered, pushing papers into a pile and dropping them into a box. He'd bring them to the office later. "She was going to have it killed."

Gracia didn't speak for some time. "I heard that, but I wasn't sure of it myself. I think, at that time, she was concerned with protecting your reputation. Roy, Elizabeth is hurting just as much as you are. There's going to be a deep hole in your relationship. A baby changes the dynamic between people, and it's going to be difficult for either of you to accept. You've lived this life your entire life, it's not like you can just up and quit the military mentality."

"But how am I supposed to feel when I know she wanted to kill our child? How am I supposed to just…accept that?" He asked, running his hands through his hair.

She leaned forward a bit and moved to sit beside him. "When we found out about Elysia, the first thing that Maes mentioned was Ishval. He said he'd watched so many children die, that having one of his own was terrifying. He was worried about protecting her from all the evils of the world. After she was born, he rarely held her, he was afraid of dropping her and breaking her. It was hard to get him to even take her when I wasn't awake. It took time for him to adjust to being a father. It wasn't something he came to realize overnight. When Elysia fell off the bed one night, he realized just how much he could do to help her. Humans are powerless to stop things from happening. We can't stop death, we can't reverse time. Our little girl will never understand that fear that her father had. But you do, don't you?"

He nodded and watched her, his voice cracking slightly with fear. "What if I lose her?"

"Women are simple," Gracia explained. "Fight for her. You've done a good job of it so far, why quit now? Being married to a soldier is always hard work. It isn't a role a wife takes just because she can, she has to be prepared for whatever comes. Maes and I always talked about what would happen if he died in the line of duty, but neither of us suspected it would happen." She smiled sadly. "I'm sure you and Riza talked about what would happen if you lost the baby, but neither of you expected it to really be a viable problem."

"It was so sudden," He cried, burying his head in his hands. "I haven't felt sorrow like this since Maes died."

"Because even though you didn't think you were ready, you wanted to be a daddy. You feel pain because that was your baby, and no matter what, nothing will change that." Gracia rubbed his back maternally, pulling him into a hug. "Listen to me, Roy. It's going to be just as difficult on Riza. Please don't abandon her when she needs you most. She's stood by your side through battles, deaths, hardships that even I can't begin to fathom. She's going to need you."

Roy wiped his tears and looked at Gracia. "Is it greedy to want our baby to survive?"

Gracia shook her head no. "I don't believe so. It's a familial thing. You'd want it even if it wasn't your baby. Roy, you're experiencing grief because you lost someone you were close to. You loved that child, even if you hadn't met her. You were proud of a son you didn't even have yet. How's that for love? You didn't even meet your child yet and you were devoted to them. I'd say you were ready to be a parent, don't you?"

"I need to see her," Roy frowned. "I need to go see Riza. She needs me." He paused and thought about it. "I've been drinking. I can't go. Damn."

Gracia smiled and eyed him suspiciously. "I always knew that bottle of whiskey ended up here. Now that it's finally gone, you think you can stop with the pity parties? I'll take you to see her, get changed."

Roy nodded as she went to put Hayate on the leash.

* * *

The hospital was actually pretty quiet for being the middle of the night. There wasn't a lot of commotion in the halls as he came through the doors. Gracia stood behind the man, tall and determined, following behind him. AS they stopped at the nurse's station, Gracia stood back while he explained what was happening.

The nurse smiled and nodded. "I'll take you up to maternity."

"Maternity?" He questioned, shaking his head.

Gracia nodded. "That happens. Because of the fact that she was miscarrying, they still had to bring her to maternity for examination."

Roy nodded and followed the nurse up to the second floor, stopping when she came to the door. He stared at the door, wondering what he should say. Their relationship had never taken a blow like this before. There had never been any doubt in his mind that she'd be by his side. There had never been question in his heart that she wasn't the one he wanted to be with. But today, he'd realized that he'd taken her for granted for so many years. She was hurting and he was oblivious. She needed him, and he ran away. What kind of father did that make him? What kind of husband would he be? What would Maes have done?

Gracia looked up at him as the nurse walked away. "Go in there."

"…I'm scared." Roy quietly whispered. "I've never been scared. I walked right into hell and laughed when it was over. I went into battle and came back a stronger man. But this…this is terrifying. What if she doesn't want me?"

Gracia rest a hand on his shoulder. "Be strong. If for no other reason, do it for your child."

"The one that I already lost because I was too negligent to—"

"Stop beating yourself up!" Gracia shouted, shaking him slightly. "Listen to me! That woman in there needs you now more than ever. Instead of her being the one protecting and supporting you, _you _need to be the one supporting her! She lost her job, she lost her home, and she lost everything that meant anything to her! She's going to have a hard time getting used to this new world outside the military. Be strong, Roy. Now is a pretty stupid time to fall apart."

He nodded and took a deep breath, looking back to Gracia. "Thank you."

"I'll wait here." She leaned against the wall.

Roy nodded and turned the door handle, looking into the pristine room. The lights were off, the shades were shut, and there was a form of a woman on the bed. Her hair was down, hanging off the side of the bed, her arms wrapped around her body. Her back was facing him, but he knew she was probably awake. She didn't jolt up like she usually did. Her breathing was even, he could tell, by the slow rise and fall of her chest. Perhaps she was sleeping. Closing the door behind him, he took a hesitant step forward. That's when he noticed she was asleep. He sat beside the bed, curling his feet into the chair.

"I've done so much damage without even realizing it." He whispered sadly. "All this time I was worried about a future, but what good is having a future if you're not in it? It'd be awfully lonely without you. And I can't even imagine my future now without the pitter patter of tiny feet. Even Hayate has a family…and that's just not fair." Even though the puppies _and _the female dog went to Winry for Maes and Nina, Hayate _still _had a family before him. "I didn't even notice you were sick, I was so busy with trying to get everything straightened out. You told me once that love is about sacrifices, and that's why you did what you did for me, because you saw it as a _small sacrifice _to make. It's not small, it's anything but small. You're a huge part of my life. Without you, I feel pretty much useless." He took a deep breath and leaned back. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me, Elizabeth. I guess that makes me a pretty awful person." He closed his eyes and looked down.

Riza turned, staring at Roy with her usual brown eyes. She didn't speak the entire time he was going on, she felt it was something he needed to say. Instead, she waited patiently for him to finish before reaching a weak hand out to touch his. "They're running some tests now to find out what happened. It's been a long twelve hours."

He opened his eyes slowly, taking in the vision of her. She looked to be in pain, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her if she was okay. "I've been a terrible person to you, haven't I?"

"No, it's fine, I asked you to finish your goal. It isn't like we didn't expect this to happen; we prepared for this, remember?" They had, actually, when they talked to Joshua about her mother's experiences. Though he had assured them it wouldn't be likely to happen to her since the death _wasn't _genetic, Riza still insisted they prepared for the worse.

"Did you want this baby?" Roy asked. "Be honest with me, please. I need to know."

She grew silent for a long time, her hand returning back to its spot next to her head. "Honestly? For a while, I wasn't sure. It wasn't until I felt that fear of losing her that I realized just how real everything was. I've grown attached to her. I sing to her, I write to her, I breathe for her. I loved her. I know I had a weird way of showing it, but after I adjusted to the idea of being a mother, the reality of losing her hit me hard. I don't know what to do now. I don't know if I want another child. I don't know if I want to even stay in a relationship. Truth be told, I don't know what's worth fighting for anymore—"

"If nothing else fight for us!" Roy pleaded, leaning forward to stare at her intently. "I realized today, too, that losing her is going to change our dynamic. Please don't let this be what tears us apart."

"I…wanted to be a mother, Roy. I wanted to be your wife." She fell quiet and looked down at the ring on her hand. "I…wanted that fairytale."

"It wasn't a fairytale, its reality. It's _our _reality. And getting over this is going to be difficult, but it's going to be worse if we're not together. Please don't let this be our downfall." Roy looked away. "Please."

There was a tapping at the door. For a moment, Roy thought it was Gracia. It wasn't until he heard screaming outside the door that he started to wonder what was going on. Riza sat up, wincing as she did so. As Roy gently pushed her back against the pillows, he nodded. "I'll go see who it is." When he opened the door, he didn't see Gracia, but he did see Joshua. Roy took a step back and let the younger man in.

Joshua held a clipboard and stared between Roy and Riza. "I've got good news and bad news. Which would you prefer?"

The duo exchanged a look before speaking at the same time. "Bad news."

"Your daughter didn't make it." Joshua answered.

Riza began to cry, Roy was immediately at her side, holding her close. "What's the _good _news?"

"It seems that Miss Hawkeye was carrying twins." Joshua replied.

Riza got quiet and looked up at the man, her eyes darkening. "Twins? How is that good news if the baby died?"

"_Baby_," He responded casually. "Not _babies_."

Roy rubbed Riza's back and quietly listened, taking in all the information. "Wait, we're still going to be parents?"

Joshua nodded. "This happens from time to time. I suspect that you were carrying fraternal twins; they would have totally different features and genetic makeup. Identical twins are much different; when one dies of a natural cause that it's afflicted by, typically the second dies as well." Joshua explained, looking to Roy. "I couldn't really discern gender, but it looked like one was a boy and one was a girl."

Riza stopped crying, looking to Roy before stealing a look at Joshua. "Which one did we lose?"

"The girl," He answered slowly, looking to the woman curled up on the bed. "This happens from time to time. Every so often a woman will miscarry for no explainable reason. It could be genetics, it could be environment, or illness, or sometimes it could even be the other twin. The fact remains that you're still going to be a mother, just not to the baby you'd come to love."

Roy rubbed Riza's back again. "I think we're going to need some time alone to process this…"

Joshua nodded and went to leave the room, carrying the clipboard with him. "I'll be outside if you need to ask questions."

Roy nodded and watched the man leave. When the door was closed, he looked to Riza. The blonde had started crying again. "Riza, why are you crying? You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

"Yes, but…" She broke down crying harder, her hands wrapping instinctively around her belly. "I still couldn't save her life!"

"Gracia was explaining this to me earlier…she'd said that when Elysia was born, Maes wanted to protect her from all evil in the world, but after a while he realized it couldn't be done. There are some things that are just…beyond our control. You're still going to be a great mother, regardless."

She nodded and sniffled, laying her head against his shoulder. "I miss Hayate."

"Good, because I brought him with." He smiled and kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arm around her shoulder so she could lean against him. "You're going to be a mommy, Elizabeth."

"You're going to be a daddy, Roy." She looked up at him with quiet admiration. "He's going to be so confused in that pink nursery."

"Don't remind me," Roy commented quietly. "Oh, I guess I should work on that, huh?"

"You worry about your campaign; I'll take care of the nursery." Riza replied with a smile.

"I hope you don't mind, but I asked Gracia to come help take care of you for a while, only because it's getting colder and I don't want you getting sicker." She was only five months, so at some point they had to start accepting the inevitable. "You're due in March, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yes, if all goes according to plan."

"The election is in March." Roy noted absently, tapping on his lower lip. "This could be interesting. Perhaps I could get sympathy votes if you went into labor early…Hmmm."

"You'd botch your election just to come to the hospital, don't lie." She murmured, yawning.

He nodded with a loud laugh. "Of course I would. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Gracia tapped on the door and released Hayate's leash. "Sorry for interrupting your poignant moment, but I thought you'd want to see your _original _baby." She smiled brightly and looked at them quietly. "Also, I'm sorry for shrieking in joy earlier. I'm just soooo happy!"

As the dog jumped onto the bed and nestled between them, laying his head on Riza's stomach, Roy couldn't help but think that this was as good as it gets. Four months was a long time to wait, especially after today's events.

He scratched Hayate's ears absently, wondering if their life was always going to be full of these ups and downs. He still had meetings and a wedding to plan. It was going to be a long few months.

* * *

_I'm gonna be adding a little more meat to the story in the next few chapters, so expect less royai and more royxoc_


	6. Suddenly

Riza was awake before Roy that morning. He had a cold, and she was being very cautious about not catching it. Each morning before she started the day's activities, she would make some tea and hope she was okay. Gracia suggested vitamin c, so she would drink orange juice throughout the day.

The blonde watched as he slept. He was on his back, one arm curled under the pillow, the other laying over his chest. He was sleeping shirtless again, complaining it was too hot the night before. It was the first week of December; she wasn't sure where he got the idea that it was too hot. He looked so innocent sleeping like that, like nothing had ever been wrong with the world. Even as she buttoned up her shirt, she couldn't bring herself to wake him up.

Even still, he had to work, and there was a new recruit that needed training. The powers that be decided that he needed to fill that hole in his administrative staff, since Riza had stated time and again that she didn't intend on coming back. Roy was allowed to pick his own candidate for the opening, but ultimately, the choice belonged to Furor Grumman.

Grumman had chosen an up-and-coming detective by the name of Jackson Harvard. He had no real official rank, but he'd been given one as soon as he entered the team. He'd been a civilian liaison with the military for some time before becoming a private first class. She hadn't met Jackson yet, but Roy said he seemed suspicious. He was very wary about this kid. So much, in fact, that he'd insisted that the team _didn't _let him know where he lived. Roy had expressed multiple times in the last week that this kid was obsessive about learning flame alchemy, almost to the point of being a nuisance.

Since Roy was a General, he was allowed to go in the office whenever he pleased. Most days he'd go in around seven am, waking up around six, but today he wanted to sleep in just a little bit longer. It was nearing seven when Riza had awoken. He wanted to be in by eight, so she'd have to wake him now, but he looked so innocent sleeping there she didn't want to do it. With a resigned smile, she left him there, and Hayate jumped into her spot on the bed.

Making the trek into the kitchen, the blonde set out to make breakfast. She had asked Roy to move the pots to the top cupboard where she could reach them easily, this way nothing was on floor-level. He'd done so, rather obediently, and insisted she didn't spend much time around the oven. Since she drank tea so much, it was hard to avoid that. Twenty minutes after she began to make pancakes, she heard someone knock on the front door. "It's open," She shouted from the kitchen, already knowing it was Gracia.

Gracia entered the apartment and shook off the snow dust from her hair. "It's like a blizzard out there. I think Roy might be better off staying home today." The blonde announced. "Wait until little Rowland is old enough to play in the snow. You'll never get him out of it."

"I don't know," Riza commented rather casually. "His daddy is a flame alchemist, so I don't really see snow being a viable interest." She pat her tummy and sighed. "Though I'm hoping he doesn't want to be an alchemist at all. After what his daddy's been through, we need a break."

Gracia nodded. She remembered when Roy explained being forced to open the gate. Although she wasn't an alchemist, she had a fundamental understanding of how it worked. Being forced, though, just didn't seem like something she could get over easily. Even now, she heard him whimper, haunted from the dreams of that night. He mentioned several times that even though it had been three years, he still heard those poor, detached souls, crying into the darkness. Gracia sat down in the living room. "Where's all Roy's paperwork?"

"He's got the new recruit doing it," Riza answered with a laugh as she nibbled on a pancake. "After all, isn't that what the new kids are for?"

"I guess so," Gracia replied, stripping off her gloves and scarf, laying the wet garments on the radiator. "How's he taking it having a new kid around?"

"Not so well. He doesn't seem to trust this kid very much. The only reason he brought him in was because of Grumman's insistence. The Furor hasn't proven to be a terrible judge of character so far, so Roy trust's his judgment." Riza plopped a few more pancakes onto the plate beside the stove. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm expecting; he's not Maes, not by a long shot. But he's a detective. And he's not me, so it's not like Roy's going to have another girl to look at."

"Do you honestly assume Roy would cheat on you in this condition?" Gracia inquired, watching her from the kitchen. The back of the couch faced the kitchen, so Gracia was sitting sideways, her arm dangling over the back where she rested her head. "I mean, I know he used to be a dog before, but I don't think he'd cheat with a baby on the way. He seems fairly loyal."

"And he is, and I suspect this is the hormones talking, but sometimes I doubt that." Riza replied, bringing the plate of pancakes into the living room, along with three empty plates, some forks, and some syrup. She set them all down on the table and looked up at Gracia. "Being pregnant is hard."

"Tell me about it," The woman sympathized. "And Maes wanted six of them. I'm not really saying I'm glad he died, but I'm glad I didn't end up with six beforehand."

Riza chuckled and nibbled on another pancake. "Maybe I should go wake him up."

"That might be a good idea. Has your morning sickness stopped yet?" Gracia asked as the younger blonde waddled over to the bedroom.

Swallowing her pancake, she turned to Gracia. "It stopped a week ago, but it comes and goes. I still get it every so often if I eat something that doesn't agree with him. Rowland doesn't like pickles for some bizarre reason. It's really odd, because both I and his daddy love them."

"Are you sure he's Roy's son?"

With a curt nod, Riza opened the door. "Without reasonable doubt; I was a virgin when we slept together."

"For twenty-some odd years?" Gracia asked, shock written all over her features. "That can't be true. Tell me that's not true."

"It's true. I was positive I wanted to be with no one but him. I know at the time he didn't feel the same way, but I always did; ever since childhood." She looked down for a moment before going into the bedroom.

Roy seemed to be in the midst of a nightmare, which often happened when she wasn't lying with him. His eyes were shut so tightly, she was sure that it must have hurt. His mouth was upturned into a deep frown, as if he was angry with someone. He kept turning in the sheets, having difficulty getting comfortable. Apparently, that wasn't going to happen, either. She sat beside the edge of the bed, gently reaching a hand out to brush his sweaty hair from his eyes. "Roy, wake up. You're having a nightmare."

For a while, he didn't respond, and she was sure he didn't hear her. His eyes fluttered open and she spied that usual look of laziness in his ebony eyes, even with his gentle smile written on his features. It was quite the drastic difference, all things considered. "I don't want to go to work," He grumbled childishly, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm not gonna go."

"You have to," She smiled and kissed his forehead, smiling softly. "We have company, go take your shower."

"No. Not until I say good morning to my lovely wife and son." Even though they weren't married, he'd made it a point to call her his wife on several occasions. He sat up slowly, head pounding from the nightmare combined with the cold. He lifted her shirt, hunched down, and placed his ear to her stomach, listening quietly. A few moments passed before his eyes closed.

"Roy, stop being lazy, you need to get ready for—"

Roy smiled. "Shhhh. He's talking to me."

"And what could he possibly be saying that's more important than going to work?" Riza asked, tangling a hand in his hair.

"He's saying that he loves his mommy very much," Roy smiled, kissing her navel. "And that he wants to meet mommy and daddy _really soon_."

"Hopefully not too soon, I don't want him to be early. He'll have developmental and health issues if he is." She kept her hand tangled in his unruly black locks for some time before leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "Go get your shower. Your adoring staff is awaiting your arrival."

He grumbled something about wanting to lay there with her a little bit longer before sitting up straight. "But what if I miss something important?"

"Baby, Rowland won't be born in the eight hours you're gone, and he certainly won't be born walking." She smiled and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Will you please go get a shower? You smell like sweat and it's starting to make me sick."

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away." He smiled at her and darted off into the bathroom. "Oh, hey, don't forget to wash my uniform shirts with the sheets, would you?" He called from the doorway.

Riza nodded and began to strip the bedding while he was in the shower. "Gracia, can you come help me get this off? I can't reach that corner, and unfortunately, I no longer fit back there."

Gracia came in to help her with the bedding. As they both tried desperately to tug at the corner, neither seemed to have noticed Roy step out of the shower and stand there in the middle of the room. "Uh, we have no towels."

"They're in the dress—" Riza paused and slowly raised her head. Her back was facing him, so she wasn't sure what was going on at first until she saw Gracia's bright red blush. Spinning on her heel, Riza turned to face him. "Are you _naked _with _company in the house_?" Her eyes slowly followed his muscular body, from his head all the way to his scar, landing on the small hand towel he held over his private area. "You have _got _to be kidding me. You didn't bring a towel in with you? Are you stupid, Roy? You know better!"

"Hey, now! Remember what the doctor said about stress on the baby!" Roy demanded, tugging open the dresser drawer to get a towel and wrap it around his lower half. "I guess this is kind of moot point now, isn't it?"

"Roy, I never knew you were so…muscular," Gracia commented, the blush still rather evident on her cheeks. "And…handsome."

"And betrothed!" Riza screamed. "What is with you?" She demanded, shoving Gracia from the room. He quickly slithered into a pair of pants before turning in the direction of Riza's screaming. She was rather infuriorated. Perhaps he should have left her alone? "Answer me!"

"I didn't want to bother you. And I thought I had one with me. _And, _in my defense, I didn't know what time it was. I thought it was still six and we were home alone; I was hoping to get a little _fun _before going to work on a boring day." He grumbled, running his hands through his hair. He saw her through the vanity mirror, tugging at the sheet. He knew if she got it loose, she could fall and hit her head on the wall, or fly out a window or something, so he went over to help her.

"I don't want your help!" She broke down sobbing. "I don't need it."

He frowned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Listen, Riza, I know this is difficult on you, but Joshua told me about everything. You need to take it easy. Granted, I understand the military mentality, but you're allowed to sleep in a little later once in a while, you're allowed to eat sugar for dinner, you're even allowed to just sit there and admire yourself in a mirror so you'll understand for once that you're fucking beautiful. This isn't one of those times where you need to feel like you have to do everything. Calm down, breathe, and do nothing for once." He kissed the top of her hair. Personally, he liked it when she admired her stomach in the mirror. It made him feel proud of what he'd done. At first it was shame, because he felt like he'd hurt her. But when she admitted that she wanted this just as much as him, it became pride. "There will be plenty of time for doing everything when the baby is born. Until then, take it easy and enjoy the time off."

She wriggled from his arms and nodded. "I guess you're right. I can take the day off today."

"Good, I'll take the day off and enjoy it with you," Roy murmured, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Nice try! You have to go to work." She felt that his forehead was burning and gently pushed him away to feel for a fever. "Roy, you're burning up bad. You should lie down."

"I'll be fine, I need to go to work you said."

"No, I'm not joking this time. You're sick. Really sick. You should lie down. How are you not dizzy?" She inquired softly.

"Truth be told, I am a _little _dizzy." He sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at her. "I don't want to make you sick, Elizabeth."

"We'll be alright. You get some rest. I'll call and let the office know you're not coming in." She kissed his forehead and left the room.

As he was left staring up at the ceiling fan, he wondered what exactly was going to happen next.

* * *

Most of the officials' home-phones were already programmed into the system at the barracks, so it wasn't too difficult for Riza to get through to the office. Though, she had expected one of the others to answer, like Kain or Havoc, but instead it was a voice she didn't recognize. The young man spoke softly. "What is the code?"

The code? She remembered having to do this once before. Digging through the paperwork by the phone, she picked up the list of numbers and letters. "Zero-Seven-Alpha-Six-Foxtrot-Nine."

"General Mustang, your cold certainly is doing a number on your voice. I would have suspected you were a girl." The voice replied.

Riza let out a sigh. "No, my name is Captain Hawkeye; I'm calling in regard to General Mustang. He's going to be staying home sick today, he can barely even walk."

"Oh, well, do send our regards. I'll be sure to call back later and check up on him."

"Thank you," She paused and looked up again. "Oh, and do tell Havoc about _the birds_, I'm sure he'll be quite interested." She knew that he wouldn't get the unspoken code between herself and Havoc; it was the one good thing about being in such paranoid company. As she hung up the phone, she looked over at Gracia. "He's right. Something about that new kid seems really suspicious."

"I'm sure you're all just being paranoid," Gracia replied, patting the couch. "Sit down, Riza. I'll go take care of Roy."

Riza reluctantly took a seat on the couch and looked on as Gracia went into the bedroom. She wondered if it was a good idea letting her in the bedroom considering the last time. Gracia seemed to take an awful long time, so Riza went to check on her.

When she entered the room, Roy was on his knees beside the bed, digging under it for the box with the lock combination. Gracia was pleading with him to stop and consider the damaging effects of what was going to happen next. Riza stood silently in the middle of the room, staring at them both. "What is this about?"

"I heard your conversation," Roy murmured, staring up at her. "And I heard the warning you gave Havoc. Your warnings aren't generally wrong."

"Without seeing him, I wouldn't know. I just wanted Havoc to be on his guard, because I know _you _were worried about him. And you're _sick _and need to be _resting._"

"I'm _fine _and I need to be _protecting my family_." Roy growled, tugging the box from under the bed and unlocking its contents. Inside was a stack of gloves. There were maybe six stacks, two to a stack. He grabbed a set and slid them onto his hands. "I'm going to kill him."

"Its okay, Roy! He didn't say anything bad." Riza whispered.

Roy shook his head. "That's not the problem. I want to know where Havoc and Kain are that they couldn't answer the phone. I don't trust him. Not one bit."

Gracia eyed them both suspiciously. "He's a kid! You wouldn't trust any young kid. You feel like he's horning in on your territory, but really, it's just you being paranoid. Roy, go back to bed. This fever is messing with your head."

Roy shook his head. "I'm thinking perfectly rationally right now."

Riza rest her hands on his and tugged the gloves off. "Give him a week. I'm sure it's fine. I just want them to be aware that there's an issue." She put her hands against his cheeks and kissed him softly. "It's nothing to worry about unless he does something suspicious."

Roy muttered under his breath and put the gloves back reluctantly. "You're lucky I love you with everything I have, and that I trust your judgment, or else he'd be a crispy critter on the side of the road."

"And then guess who wouldn't get to be furor?" Riza asked. "Exactly. Now get your ass back in bed before I shoot it. I'm positive you don't want another battle scar."

"You wouldn't."

As she glared at him and reached into the box for her gun, strapped to the top portion of it, he raced into bed and covered up with the blanket. "That's what I thought. Stay there or I'll strap you into place with a belt."

"Kinky," Roy murmured with a smirk. "Would you really?"

"I thought _I _was supposed to be the one with the wild hormones?" Riza questioned to Gracia as they left the room.

"No, sometimes the male does. It just means he's _really _attracted to you like this. Men take pride in their work; and, well, this is Roy's handiwork. No one else is allowed to take that away." Gracia sat on the couch and looked at Riza. "Are you really suspicious of that kid?"

"A little, they don't ask for identifying codes when it's a home-phone because it goes straight through the switchboard. He wanted me to verify something. I wonder what this kid is up to. Roy said that he was really keen on getting into flame alchemy, even if it meant stealing from his superiors. Do you wonder if maybe he was doing it to get an address out of me?" Riza questioned, sitting back and staring up at the ceiling tiles. "Roy is going to kill me if I put this family in danger."

"Roy is the least of your problems, in the long run. Someone's out to kill your family." Gracia murmured.

Riza shook her head. "No, I didn't say that, I said he was trying to steal Roy's gloves. Where did you get the idea someone was trying to kill us?"

"It's never as easy as stealing. I think this kid is trying to kill Roy so he can take his place." Gracia observed, looking at the bedroom door, which was closed and locked this time. "And Roy doesn't even know how deep it really goes."

* * *

_Mind = Blown. I'll be honest; I write my chapters as they come to me, I don't just have them all finished ahead of time. I did not see this coming; even though I knew all along someone was going to be the bad guy. There's actually more than one. You'll learn more about the new kid in the next chapter. Just wanted to get one more out of the way with some fluff before I moved onto the darker chapters. But don't worry! They won't be dark for long, since the flame alchemist plans on lighting some people on fire._

_In response to Shadow Cat's review; I have to ask you what songs they were. If it was "She is Love" and "Under Control", by Parachute, that would be because I used them as chapter titles. If not, I'm genuinely interested. Music inspires me heavily._

_And to the one who told me to change the boy's name, I'm going to have to respectfully decline. I happen to like the name Rowland. If that means you can't read this story, I'm terribly sorry._


	7. Newbie's Induction

Roy stared up at the snow as it fell on his head. He sighed and cursed it, coughing slightly. Riza had hoped he'd be feeling better by now, but apparently that wasn't so. He rubbed a tissue against his runny nose and continued walking. By now, he figured the office would be in complete chaos. Even when he was sick, it wasn't like him to take the day off. He sneezed, got a _God Bless You _from a random stranger walking about, and offered a shy wave in return. "I can't believe she forced me to go to work today," He moped, kicking snow as he walked. "What a vile woman."

As he came to the apartment complex that Gracia and Elysia lived in, he couldn't help but smile at the haphazard army of snowmen in the front yard. One of them was rather tall, likely built by an older child. There was another one that had a piece of cardboard taped to the stick for its hands, with a drawing of a man and angel wings and a halo. Roy didn't need to ask to know it was Elysia's. He leaned against the fence and smiled, staring at it for a moment.

"Isn't it amazing, Mr. Roy?" Elysia asked, poking her head out from behind the snowman.

Startled, Roy jumped several inches before smiling softly at her. "It's the spitting image of your daddy." He paused and looked around for a moment. "Where's your mom?"

"She said that she was gonna go to your house today, so I'm here with my friend. He's with his mommy making cocoa inside. Want some?" She asked enthusiastically, sandy blonde pigtails bobbing each time she moved. "It's really yummy."

"Ah, I'd love to, but I have to work today. I'll be late if I don't go in soon." He frowned, thinking about it. "Sorry, kiddo."

"It's okay! I'll save some for you." She smiled brightly, giving the same smile her father did. Roy frowned again, suddenly feeling saddened by the fact that Maes had been gone for almost three years now. He sighed softly and looked at the child. "You'll be six soon." Roy commented idly.

"Mmhmm. December 11th. It's a week from today. I'm so excited." She looked down sadly. "But it makes two and a half years since daddy left us." She started to draw in the snow with the toe of her shoe. "Would he be proud of us, Mr. Roy?"

"I'm sure he would. You were very special to him. He loved you lots and lots. Like, further than the moon and back. That's a long way, you know." He ruffled her hair when she came over to the fence. "Be good for your friends' mommy, okay?"

"I always am, Mr. Roy." She answered with a bright smile.

He smiled and turned, starting back onto the path. They didn't live too far from Central Headquarters, so he stopped by every so often to see Elysia. He hung his head and kept walking, kicking at the snow. "She made me work today," He continued again, staring up at the clouds, hands jammed into the pockets of his black trench. "Evil woman." He sighed and frowned. "I can't say that. I love her to death, and she _is _the mother of my child." He got a bright, giddy smile when he said the last sentence. "My child." He paused and thought about it, repeating it again, awe and wonder in his voice. "_My _child. No. _Our _child. _My son._" His smile was so ridiculously bright; he thought he could outshine the sunlight. "God, he's going to be so beautiful. Riza's eyes, my smile and hair, her personality…he'll be a heartbreaker, I'm sure. But he'll be as obedient as Elysia, so I guess I should teach him self-defense early…but Riza said no guns or alchemy. Maybe he'll just have a natural knack for alchemy and I won't have to teach him? Oh God, what if he looks like me? I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But, I _am _pretty handsome, and his mother _is _exotically gorgeous. I guess this works in his favor. Hmm."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" The voice came from behind him, from a male. The boy clapped the older man on the shoulder and laughed. "You sound pretty crazy right now, General."

Roy nearly jumped a mile before slowly turning to glare at the person in question. "Damnit, Harvard, if you ever do that again, I'm frying your ass."

"Oh, cool! I'd die by the hand of the flame alchemist! How awesome would _that _be?" Harvard shouted enthusiastically, skipping slightly as he walked. "So you're gonna be a daddy? No one told me that."

"She's due in March," Roy answered absently, the smile from before fading. He didn't trust Harvard, he had no reason to. But the boy did seem alright, after all. He wasn't prying for details or anything. "I'm excited."

"Really, you don't look excited, sir." Harvard stated calmly, looking over to Roy. He was tall, but lean. He seemed to have long arms, and no muscle. The boy was very quiet, and a little too young to be on Roy's team, but he took him anyway. "I mean, excited people brag."

"I have to keep her safety in mind. I'm a candidate for furor, after all." Roy commented casually, his voice dropping slightly. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to her or the baby."

The boy nodded and kept walking, his blue eyes watching the snowflakes fall around them as they walked together. "So, who was it? Was it that lady down the street? Tabitha in the office? I bet it was Christine in accounting, wasn't it? Tawny in payroll?"

That's when Roy began to lose his cool. He could handle a lot of things, including mistakes and stupidity, but this was not one of them. He wasn't going to let some rookie talk about him as if he was a player, even though he was. "No, for your information, it was the woman I'm engaged to."

The boy's blue eyes got wide and danced with life. "Oh my God, the infamous playboy Mustang is settling down!?"

Roy stopped and turned to the boy, growling almost as if he was a wild animal. "Do _not _talk about me as if you know me. And for the love of all things Holy, do _not _imply that the woman I love is a _whore_. She stood by my side _faithfully _for _thirteen years_. I owe that woman a whole _hell _of a lot more than my life." He continued on, acting as if the conversation never happened. "They didn't tell you why you were chosen to come here, did they? You just jumped at the opportunity to work with your idol, didn't you?"

The boy kept walking, his feet dragging slightly. "No, they didn't tell me the details. I figured it was best not to know."

"Please, I'm going to say this for your sake more than mine, don't idolize me. I'm not a _hero _by any means. If I was, Ishval would have never happened, and the woman I love wouldn't be carrying around the scars of a lifetime. If I was a hero, that little girl wouldn't have died, and that man wouldn't have lived as long as he did. And Maes, well, you wouldn't be in this company." He glared at his feet, cursing the boy mentally for killing his good mood. "You're like, what, eighteen?"

"Twenty-two, sir." He corrected. "I've seen stuff, too."

Roy scoffed. "Like what, dead puppies? Have you ever had to get the screams of the lost souls out of your head because you were forced to do human transmutation? Have you ever had to hear the nightmarish cries of the woman you love while she's being tortured to death? Have you ever had to take the shot to kill a child? No? Don't complain to me about sympathy. I didn't get here by twiddling my thumbs and praying for a miracle. People died. There were sacrifices. Brigadier General Maes Hughes died for a cause he believed in, he's a _martyr _for me. He died to get me information about something for his job. He died for absolutely no _bloody reason_."

Harvard stopped and looked at Roy. "Did you read my file before you brought me on to your team, sir? With all due respect, perhaps I should enlighten you. No, I wasn't alive for Ishval. I don't have blood on my hands like you do. Hell, I've never been framed for murder like some of your team. I've never been blind or paralyzed like you or your team. I've never known love and devotion like you speak of. My sister was raped and killed. Yeah, that was the nightmare I lived with. Those are the screams I carry around with me. I was helpless but to watch it happen. I had to hear her screaming and crying for them to stop. I begged and pleaded, but they wouldn't listen. They burned my house down and let me live while my seventeen year old sister died. Sure, that wound is still fresh on my mind, and I'm still horrified that it ever happened. But those nightmares never stop. That pain doesn't go away. It wasn't a comrade, it wasn't a friend, it wasn't an innocent person that I never met, and it wasn't a random soul. It was my _sister_." He choked back sobs and looked away. "I idolized you because of your strength. Your willingness to carry yourself like a soldier, regardless of the lives you took. I admired you because of that."

Roy stopped, staring ahead of him as the boy sobbed behind him. He vaguely remembered this from his psychiatric evaluation file. Now he felt like a first class ass. He sighed and looked down for a moment before turning to look at the boy again. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"No, I get it. You're the greatest man to ever live, and I'll never understand the sacrifices you made to get where you are. It's clear, I'm sure, and I know you don't like me. I'm not Hughes, and I can never be him. I've heard it from everyone, every single person in your company has said it at least once since I've been there. But I take it in stride because they're right. I'm not him. But I'm not _replacing him_."

The thought hadn't crossed his mind. Hughes was part of a different company. He turned slowly to look at Harvard. "Maybe I should have gotten to know you before I judged you. I've been teasing and hazing you relentlessly and you just take it all. Why? What's your goal?"

Harvard sighed and looked down again. "To find my sister's killers. But I take it because I know there's no better team to help me find the answers. I mean, you got to the bottom of Hughes' death, fought his killer, won, and still came out without losing anything!"

"_Without losing anything_?" Roy questioned voice gruff again. It hurt his throat to talk like that. "I _lost _my best friend. I _lost _my eyesight. I _lost _my fiancées beauty. I _lost _comrades. I lost quite a bit that day. And you weren't there on Promised Day, so please don't even begin to say that I came out unscratched. I live with those horrifying screams of pain and agony every single night. I scream out in the middle of the night, because I can't handle the sorrow in her eyes when she was laying there dying. I cry because I can't stand to hear those screams and pleads from a little girl who lost her father. I lost a lot that day."

Harvard clenched his fists at his sides. "Listen, we're never going to get along. I get it. But stop acting like losing my sister didn't hurt. It hurts, sir. It hurts _a lot_, and with all due respect to my superiors, I'm starting to suspect that perhaps, you don't like me at all. I'm pretty sure that if I was on fire, you'd watch me burn."

Roy smirked. "Most likely because I'd be the one who set you on fire."

"Bad analogy," Harvard stated calmly, continuing down the road. "I hate you."

"It's cool, I hate you, too." Roy grumbled, sneezing again. He rubbed his nose and continued, following the boy carelessly. "You do have a lot of tenacity. You remind me of a younger version of myself. That's not so bad."

"Pray your child is nothing like me," Harvard absently growled, kicking at the snow as he walked. "You're an ass."

"And you're not the first person to call me that. Want to hurl more insults at me, or can we come to a cease fire? Because trust me, you can come up with any insult you want, but nothing burns me quite as much as _Hero of Ishval_." Roy shouted at the boy as he walked ahead of him. "Stories? Yeah, we've all got 'em. We all tell 'em. You're the first person to ever stand up to me. I like that, kid. You've got guts."

"And you're an old man. I don't think you've got any right to run with the young kids like me." Harvard countered, hands in his pockets. "Go back to the nursing home."

Roy growled and scooped up some snow, pelting the boy in the back of the head with it. "I hope you get a face full of snow."

Harvard stopped, snickering slightly as he turned to Roy. "You're immature, you know that? You'd be the worst person in a leadership position, because you'd use that power to destroy our country."

"And make the women wear tiny miniskirts while doing so, yes," Roy smirked and continued walking while the boy stared in awe. "If you're going to have an ulterior motive, at least make it obvious so that when the time comes, people don't think you actually did it." He could faintly hear the whistle of snow fly by his face, followed by some obscene cuss words from someone that was far too young to be using such profanity. As the second snowball came flying, Roy snapped his fingers and melted it on the spot. "Who needs a shovel when you've got the flame alchemist?" He grinned, turning to Harvard with a laugh. "You're a decent kid," He continued, walking backwards rather effortlessly. "Stay around a while. Let me get to know you better. I like you."

"Egotistical maniac."

"Fullmetal comes up with better insults than that," Roy reminded him, still walking backwards. He spun on his heel and started to face forward, walking slower this time so the kid could catch up. "Listen, kid, I hear a lot of stories from people like you; horror from children that shouldn't be faced with these nightmares. That's why I'm here. I want to change the world. Sure, it's a big dream. It's almost an impossible dream. But that's what dreams are. We dream so we can continue to have faith in reality. If it was possible, everyone would have done it already."

"Dreams don't die, we kill them."

Roy snapped his fingers and pointed at the boy with a laugh. "Bingo, Gene Kelly. You nailed it right on the head. Don't let one person tell you that you're not good enough. You're far from good enough, you're better than enough. Don't let me be the reason you quit."

"You're like an older, jerkish brother that I never had." Harvard retorted, starting to understand a little better what Roy was getting at. "You gave me a hard time to get to know what I was all about. My ulterior motive."

"Nailed it," Roy sang, his finger dancing above his head in a 'whoop de doo' type fashion. "Can we get on with life now?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Did you finish my paperwork yet?" Roy questioned, not even bothering to turn around this time. "Because I'm not gonna lie, my fiancée used to bitch at me something fierce if I didn't do it."

"I heard she shot you."

"A few times, yes. So you know who she is now?" Roy raised a brow, turning to look at the kid. "I'm not gonna lie, I kept it a secret for a reason. If I'm wrong about you, and you try to kill her or my child, they won't find any remains, because you'll be a charred mess on the side of the road."

"Are you crazy? I heard what you did in Ishval! I'd be nuts to stand up against you! Or have a bigger pair than Armstrong himself!" Harvard shrieked voice shrill. "Hell, you'd probably kill me before I could even get off a warning shot."

"I'm glad you're learning," The older man smiled and held open the door for him. "After you, rookie."

"Damnit, I'm never gonna live down that name, am I?"

"Not until someone more childlike than you comes in, and I doubt that's going to happen any time soon," Roy replied, walking through the halls as if he owned the place. He wouldn't lie, he was a little lightheaded, and his head was throbbing pretty erratically from the blow to the ego. He couldn't keep up with these young kids and their mind games anymore. He sighed and leaned against a wall, taking a deep breath. "She made me come to work. What a vile woman." He grumbled, sliding to the floor, eyes closed.

Harvard blinked, wondering if he was just resting until he saw the older man fall backwards. He caught him before he hit the ground and stared down at the limp body of his commanding officer. The office was three floors up, at least two halls away. He'd never be able to drag the man. And it probably would look a little strange if he had. He did the next best thing and dragged the man to a closet and left him there, going to the relay room. "May I borrow a phone and a code-sheet?"

The girl behind the desk raised a brow, but handed him the sheet anyway. She pointed to a terminal for him to use. Harvard dialed the number before he could think of what to say. "Hello, is this General Mustang's home? Yes, my name is Private Harvard…"

* * *

Riza sat up straight when she heard Roy's name mentioned. Her heart sped up to the point she thought it would burst from her chest. She'd never been called like this. The last time, Roy was severely hurt, and she had to come help him. She fought to breathe. Even more terrifying, it wasn't one of the usual suspects that called to talk to her. "This is Captain Hawkeye, how may I help you?"

"Ah, this is an awkward conversation for me. I don't know where to start. First let me start by saying that your husband is an awfully stupid man for coming to work today. Second, he's passed out in a broom closet."

Riza blinked several times. "That's nothing unusual for him."

"Yes, but he's running a fever that's well above normal. What do I do?" Harvard inquired softly.

With a resigned sigh, Riza frowned, trying to calm her speeding heart. "Let him rest until he feels okay enough to work, duh. Just…try and get him from the broom closet." Riza waited for a response from the boy, but there was just a click and a dial tone. "Well…_that _just happened."

"He's probably just drunk," Gracia suggested.

* * *

Harvard looked up at the person that had hung up the phone on him. Roy did _not _look pleased. The older man was glaring down at the younger man, his onyx eyes seemingly full of a life that wasn't there before. "Uh, hi, sir."

"I suspected that you had access to my home records. This isn't what bothers me. What bothers me is the fact that you were going to bring my fiancée down here, heavily pregnant, in the snow, and risk both of them. You have no sense, do you? Would it help if I beat you?" Roy questioned rather darkly, grimacing when he swallowed. "Because I'm tempted to just kill you and rid the world of your presence."

"I wasn't going to have her come down here; I just wanted to know what to do! I've never had someone pass out on me like that before! Are you…are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," Roy answered, his eyes dancing with laughter. "I'm fine. But if you ever try to drag my fiancée into my work life again, I will be sure to mail you home in an envelope, got it?"

Harvard swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Roy laughed and pat him on the back. "Glad we could come to an understanding! Now, let's go to the office and get some more paperwork done, shall we?"

"Uh…yes, sir."

* * *

_I'm not sure if I was more amused or shocked writing this chapter. All I know is I spent a lot of time laughing like a maniac and earning weird looks from my brother. Yep. I've lost it._

_**Lothmel**, I've been reading a roleplaying blog for a character from another show that reminds me of Riza. She's just as well in personality, so it's been giving me some huge inspiration._

_**Shadow Cat**, you're right about the songs. I've got both of them on my MP3 player, actually. I have the whole Awake and Alive album by Skillet. And I have actually used that Lifehouse song when doing these stories before, but it was for a different pairing in a different show. Also, in response to the above statement about people not liking you because you're anonymous, I like to engage my reviewers. Typically I'd send a message, but since you don't have an account, this is the only way I can do it. Please don't ever feel like people don't like you, I like you. And that's just from three reviews. I'm not saying that because I have to be nice, either. I'm genuinely interested - mostly because we have the same taste in music. And I likely am older than you. My age is on my profile. But that doesn't always mean I know more music. I'm just heavily influenced by music, so I have a million songs on my MP3 player._

_**Fmalover07**, **Kuromaychan**, I adore the name Rowland. No offense to the reviewer, but when they told me to change the name, I scoffed. Don't read it if the name bothers you that much. Remember, you're dealing with a spoiled rich kid in the 1900's, Rowland and Ruth were very common names back then._


	8. Ignition

Roy came home from the office late that night. He threw his jacket onto the couch and sighed deeply, cursing Grumman for allowing the new recruit into his presence. Nothing annoyed him more than a know-it-all new kid. Though, he had been that cocky once before, so it wasn't so bad. He looked around and saw that there were dishes set out on the table, but nobody in the room. With a quiet gaze, he turned to look in the nursery, wondering if Riza was doing something in there. She had been nesting an awful lot lately. When he didn't see her in there, his next inclination was to check the bedroom.

As he entered the room, he could hear the echo of humming. Humming? Slipping out of his boots, he continued walking until he saw the light on with the door closed in the bathroom. He smiled softly and tapped on the door. "Did you make dinner, Elizabeth?"

Startled, he heard water sloshing before she answered. "Uh, yeah. It's in the oven. I kept it there because you were running late and I wanted it to be warm."

"May I come in?" He asked absently. He'd seen every inch of her, there was no reason to be embarrassed. Yet, she still delayed her response. "Please?"

She sighed, then laughed softly. "Of course, I know you're not going to judge me for being fat."

He opened the door and unbuttoned his jacket, leaving it laying on the dresser in the bedroom. He'd hang it up later. "You're not fat, if anything, Rowland is fat."

Riza laughed again and watched him as he sat on the edge of the bathtub, untying his boots. There was more than enough room for both of them, and he had to admit, after a fight with the new kid today, he could use a shower. She apparently thought the same thing, since she slid forward a bit, bringing her knees as close to her body as she could. He pulled his pants off and slid his shirt over his head before climbing into the bathtub with her.

Shifting his legs so they were on either side of her, he held his arms out so she could lay back against his body. He winced slightly when her elbow collided with his old wound. "How was your day today, queen?"

She tugged the barrette from her hair and let it cascade over her shoulders. "It was okay. I didn't get done nearly as much as I had planned, but it's nice to be lazy once in a while."

"Welcome to the dark side," Roy smirked and kissed the top of her head. He took the bottle of shampoo from the edge of the tub and began to lather it into her hair. It was no secret that her hair was one of her more sensitive areas. She couldn't stand it when he tugged on the strands. Even when Elysia was younger and would play with her hair, she couldn't take it. "It's nice to be lazy, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes it is." She lay her head back against his chest, staring up at him. "I did your uniform shirts, they're in the dresser along with your slacks and vests. I hung the dress shirts in the closet." Though she'd borrowed a lot of his dress shirts for the time being. "I meant to ask you, why did you choose the name Rowland?"

Roy got silent, his eyes clouding over. He didn't want to explain the significance to her. Instead, he got a cup from the edge of the tub and began to rinse her hair out, sighing softly. "Thank you for washing my uniform shirts. I'll be sure to do something for you later."

"We're not working on a favor system," She murmured, turning slightly so she could face him. "Why are you avoiding the topic? I know the name has sentimental value to you, but what is it?"

He took a deep breath and laid his head back against the cold tiles. "When we were in Ishval, there was a little boy on the side of the road. He was screaming that he wanted his daddy. I told him I didn't know where his daddy was, but if I found him, I'd tell him that his son was looking for him. The boy informed me that his father wasn't alive, that I had killed him. There was no way to bring him back, so the boy screamed that he wanted to die, too. I couldn't kill him. I left him there." Roy closed his eyes, shaking his head. "It was a decision I hated to accept. When I asked for his name, so he could die a soldier, he told me it was Rowland."

"You're the one who left that little boy on the side of the road…" Riza quietly whispered. "The one I was building a grave for…"

He looked away. "I'm not proud of what I did, Elizabeth. I couldn't kill him."

"I suspect Havoc did. Someone shot him. Maybe it was his own people for fraternizing with the enemy," She whispered, body trembling with fear. "We can't atone for those sins. We can't change the fact that we killed children." She whispered. "It would be fair if we had lost the baby."

He nodded sadly and set the cup down on the side of the tub again, wrapping his arms around her ribs, laying his head against her shoulder. "I don't want to lose him. I feel like this is my way of making up for all I did wrong in the war. I can raise him to be a gentleman, to respect people and love them, instead of killing them in hatred of what he doesn't understand."

She could feel his heart vibrating against his chest, his breathing hard against her neck. His eyes were closed. She wondered what he was thinking. "Roy, is it really fair to bring a child into a world full of hate?"

"Wasn't our last mission together to change that?" He questioned, kissing her shoulder as he pulled away. He very gently traced a finger across the scar, smiling bitterly. "You promised me if you survived that day, you'd do everything you could to see me through till the end. You're not allowed to have doubts now, Elizabeth. What's done is done. Cherish what we've got."

She nodded and moved her arms so that she was holding his. "I know. We've got a little time left to be happy." Her silent gaze moved to her engagement ring, which she should have taken off, but her fingers were so swollen she couldn't get it off. "He's going to be wonderful."

"Mmhmm," Roy whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Not to mention beautiful."

"If he looks anything like you, which I hope he does," Riza countered. "He'll be wonderful with people."

"What were you humming earlier?" Roy questioned, picking up a rag and a bar of soap. "Was that a nursery rhyme?"

"My dad said that mom used to sing it before I was born. He didn't know where she got it from, but he said it sounded very outlandish for being from her imagination. There are words, but I don't remember them." She rested her hand against her stomach and moved her index finger in patterns until she saw the little kick. "He's very active."

"He gets it from you," Roy murmured, rubbing the cloth against her skin. "You're the only one in this family whose active."

"He keeps me up at night," She whispered. "Between him and your nightmares, I can't sleep anymore."

"When do you sleep?" Roy inquired, his hand stopping for a moment to ask.

She sighed. "When you go to work, I catch a few hours here and there. Gracia often forces me to nap between noon and three, but I can't always sleep. I think he knows when you're having nightmares, and that's why he's so active at night."

"I don't know," He replied, leaning a little closer so he could rub the cloth along her tummy. Watching the little bumps fascinated him. "That doesn't hurt you at all?"

"No," She said with a bright smile. "Sometimes it tickles. The best way I can describe it is felling butterflies. All the time."

"That's how I get whenever I see you naked." He said with a smirk. He smiled at her bright red cheeks. "I happen to think you're beautiful, no matter how you look. Personally, I thought you were too slender before."

"I thought you liked your girls fit?" She asked absently, helping him out.

He cackled. "And why do you think none of my relationships never worked out?"

"They weren't me?" She asked with a smirk.

"They were too skinny. I don't like my girls to look like rails. I prefer someone with a little substance; personality and looks."

"I'm glad I fit your criteria, because I'd hate to have a baby together and you can't even look at me," She whispered. "You need to shower."

"I do. And I am. I'm showering you." He answered. "I'm showering you with compliments."

She glared at him, moving his arms away so she could climb out of the tub. Bracing herself on the side, he gripped her arm slightly, offering her support. He was always concerned with her falling and hurting herself. "Thank you," She answered, moving to kneel behind the tub, staring at him. "I think it's my turn to help you."

"That can't be comfortable," He answered, looking at her swollen body on her knees. "How are you going to get back up?"

"So you'll have to help me up. Stop complaining and let me give you a bath." She grumbled fiercely, snatching the rag from him.

"You do realize this warrants other things, right?" Roy questioned, his voice low and gruff from emotion. "Because, I don't think you know where this is leading, and it can get very dangerous for you, very quickly."

"I know where it's going. And when I'm done washing you off, I'll meet you in the bedroom. But you better be in uniform, or I don't want anything to do with you," She mumbled with a wink. He went to protest but she stopped him by kissing his lips softly. "Joshua said it's alright. He encourages it, actually."

"As long as it's okay," He smiled and let her do her thing. When he noticed her hands trail a little further south, he stopped her and smirked. "Wait until later; I think you can handle that."

* * *

As they lay tangled in the sheets, both breathing rather heavily, Roy rolled onto his side, sweat dripping from his brow. "I can't believe you're still such a tease, even with all of this going on," He gestured towards her stomach and smiled, kissing her neck. "How about a round three?"

"I think two is enough," She panted, turning to face him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I forgot how good you feel," He commented, touching a hand to her stomach, ushering her to move closer. "At least it's warmer now."

"It's been too warm, you said." She brushed his hair back and kissed his lips softly, leaving her hand to hover on the side of his face. "Who said that pregnant women can't run with the big dogs?"

He looked at her with wide eyes. _"Big dogs_. Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

She smirked and kissed him again. "They don't call you _Mustang _for nothing."

"Mmhmm," He grumbled, hearing the phone ringing. Checking the time, he sighed and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you. Stay beautiful. I won't be gone long."

She nodded and smiled as he wrapped a sheet around his body to go answer the phone. It seemed a little awkward watching the nude man roam his own home, but he still wasn't really comfortable with his scars showing. Even to the one woman who happened to find them attractive; to him they were reminders of the times he failed protecting her. As he closed the door and Hayate jumped in his vacated spot, she couldn't help but question what was wrong.

"General Mustang," He answered, waiting for the person on the other end to speak. "May I ask who this is, and why they're calling me at two am?"

"Hi, sir."

_Oh God, not that voice._ "What do you want, Harvard."

"This is in regards to the research you had me doing. Uh, it turns out that your wife has been lying to you. I was going to wait until morning, but I felt it was probably better to do it now." He paused and thought about it. Why would anyone bother to listen to him? He blinked a thousand times in the silence. "Sir?"

"Lying, how?" Roy questioned, turning to look in the bedroom.

He blinked and continued, holding up the paper so he could see. "Well, it's more-so her doctor that's been lying to you. I looked through the military records we have on file for cases like Miss Hawkeyes, and I didn't find anyone by the name of Joshua. Joshua Alejandro does not exist anywhere in our personnel files."

Roy looked up, listening to the boy speak. He knew that Harvard wasn't a bad person, mostly because Harvard had come forward about stealing from his last job, and when called, Roy could verify it. Harvard had also expressed concern on multiple counts about his wife's wellbeing, but he was still wary of the man. "What about Joshua Anderson?"

"I checked that name, too, as a quick reference. He doesn't exist either. Sheska informed me that none of our doctors would personally visit, either. There's something really suspicious about this man, sir. He came to the office looking for you after you left, claiming he'd made a mistake in your wife's paperwork." Harvard continued, waiting for a reaction on the other end. "I suspect your wife should be wary dealing with this man."

"She's wary of any person," Roy commented, running a hand through his hair. This wasn't what he wanted to hear today. But when Riza confronted him about Joshua, and suspecting he'd drugged her to lose the baby, he knew something was up. "She told me that she felt he had intentionally caused her to miscarry. She said she felt drugged when the baby died, and she's got some point, they tested her system for any foreign pathogens and such, but it came up clean. She wasn't sick when it happened. It was only those nine hours before I took her to the hospital." He took a deep breath and looked away. "Oh God, they were alone together that entire time!"

"But you still have a baby, right?" Harvard inquired.

Roy nodded, then caught himself. "Yes, but why would anyone be targeting her and not me? Why would someone kill an innocent baby and not me? Am I not the problem?"

"I asked myself the same question, but it was actually Sheska that pointed it out to me. You're the only person in the world that can pass on flame alchemy, your wife can't do it because she doesn't know the research. If they make you believe your child is dead, then take them later, after she delivers, then you have no choice but to give into them. Admit it, sir, you would do anything for your family. _Anything._"

Roy clenched his jaw and growled something fierce. "I'm coming into the office, you'd better be there or someone's going to get dead quick. Call Havoc and Fury, as well as Sheska. We need to have a meeting."

"We'll be there, sir." He answered before hanging up the phone.

Roy turned on his heel and marched back into the bedroom. Riza was staring at him quietly from the bed, her arm holding a blanket against her chest protectively. "Roy? What happened?" Even as he buttoned up his uniform, he didn't breathe a word to her. He continued dressing as if nothing was happening right now. She knew something was horribly wrong. Sitting up, she looked at him, her eyes a little darker now. "I'm going with you."

"You're staying here." He answered, not even turning to look at her, while he buttoned up the inside shirt. "It's too much of a risk to bring you with me. Someone is going to die tonight, and I'll be damned if it's going to be you."

"I can protect myself!" She screamed, shuffling from the bed and reaching under it to retrieve the box with his gloves and her gun. She pocketed one of the pairs of gloves, and tossed her gun onto the bed. "I'm not going to let you go alone."

"I'm concerned about your wellbeing, Elizabeth. I'm not dragging you into this," He hissed, turning to her finally. "You deserve better."

"Damnit, Roy! You can protect me better if I'm _with you_." She screamed, her voice cracking from tears that threatened to fall. "I'm not going to let you go alone. Even if it means following you."

"I will kill you, Elizabeth."

She looked down, eyes dark, as she began to dress in casual attire. She didn't say anything for a long time, even as she took her gun holsters from under the bed and strapped them over her shoulders in a criss cross fashion. She put her handgun into the clamp and turned to him. "I know."

"You're okay with this?" He questioned, looking at her carefully for an answer. There was no hesitation in her eyes or stature. "Get your jacket."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Seated around a round table in Roy's office were two subordinates, one librarian, and one detective. Kain and Havoc exchanged glances before looking to Roy. Havoc spied a quick glance at Sheska, who was busy watching Harvard. Finally, someone spoke up. Roy was leaning against the table, his elbows propped, his chin resting on his fingers. It wasn't an uncommon look from him, Havoc noticed. "What's this about?"

"Havoc, you're my best sharpshooter, next to Captain Hawkeye, so I'm depending on you to watch my back. You're the only person that can do it right now. But at the same time, I'm concerned that our team has adequate protection. Someone on the outside is trying desperately to break up this family." Roy replied. "They want to see me fall, and I wouldn't be surprised if Olivier is behind this."

Sheska piped up next. "If she wants the title, just give it to her, General. I heard what she did to Major Armstrong when he wouldn't give up the rights to the name. She isn't going to give up because you have a sharpshooter, no offense."

"None taken," Havoc added. "She has a point, sir. You're in the direct line of enemy fire, this position comes with a lot of hatred. People who want to see you go down easily. Olivier has also been getting threats, from people who _don't _want a female leader. Either way, it's risky to be in your shoes."

"Which is why they'll never be filled," He looked to Sheska and Havoc. "Right now, I have mildly bigger concerns. The military is a huge concern of mine, and we all know that. But if I bow out of the race, our country will fall into a place it shouldn't be. Sheska, you wrote my campaign speeches, I know you realize this more than anyone. I _cannot _give up this race. However, I have a bigger concern," He turned to Harvard and sighed. "It's come to my attention that the doctor that's been treating Captain Hawkeye isn't a doctor at all. In fact, he doesn't exist in any of our records."

"Word got out about the pregnancy before Elizabeth could resign from the position; it's quite possible that the military is trying to force her into an abortion." Kain murmured, quietly observing the group. "They don't take very lightly on fraternization, sir."

"I'm aware of that, but the military also has a greater concern. Between myself and Hawkeye, I'm the only one who can pass on flame alchemy. I am the only one who can teach it to a single soul. And we had intended on teaching it to our son when he was older and if he chose to do so, which makes him a threat to any opposing force. You've all heard it, and I'll say it again, Flame Alchemy is the strongest there is in existence so far. That makes both myself and my son a viable target for death threats."

"Where is Hawkeye?" Questioned Harvard. "I've never met her, I just thought it was interesting that the conversation is about her, and she's not here."

"She'll be along shortly," Roy murmured. "She wasn't feeling well. Regardless of circumstance, my entire family is a threat to the military. I had tried to keep her pregnancy a secret. I suppose that isn't going to work anymore. The entire public knows who she is now." He looked to Sheska. "Have you found any further proof that the person is trying to kidnap our child?"

She nodded and looked up. "I accessed her medical records from when she was at the hospital."

"You can do that?" Fury asked in awe. "I thought that was illegal."

"I'm the military's database on everything; nothing is illegal to me," She murmured, turning to Roy. "She was poisoned."

Roy let out a sigh and looked at the table again, searching for any sign of reason. "So someone did intentionally try to kill the baby. Which means our threat is either the military itself, or someone from an opposing country. With a name like Alejandro, I'm suspecting another country."

"Why would they kill the baby and not her?"

"I'm easy to take out; I'm going to die eventually. However, if a child learns flame alchemy, which makes it much more difficult, because I don't intend on teaching him the pussy way like I was taught. If I teach him, he's going to be burned a lot. A child is a lot harder to catch; look at how many people have been trying to kill Fullmetal and failed?" Roy replied, hearing the door to the office open. Riza stepped in, her gun facing the ground. "Did you find anything?"

"No, sir. We're alone." She replied, taking a seat next to him at the table. "Have we found any information regarding whose trying to kill me?"

"No," Roy replied, looking to his team. "But I want this to be a priority. Sheska, I'll continue to work with you on the campaign, because I don't want the enemy to suspect I'm onto them. Havoc, Kain, and Harvard, I expect you to continue to keep an eye on this. Harvard, keep researching as I'd asked. Kain, keep an eye on any radio transmissions in the next twelve hours. Havoc, stay with me. Elizabeth," He quietly looked at her, and kissed her lips softly. "Protect yourself at all costs."

"Yes, sir." She turned from his gaze and spied a look at the table. "This isn't the first time the military has been infiltrated by an outsider. Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. Harvard; if you do anything I question, I will not hesitate to put a bullet between your eyes."

Roy stopped her, resting a hand on hers gently. "You won't need to question his alliance. He was sent by Ling."

Harvard nodded. "Ling confirmed it yesterday. I was trained by him and Ran Fan. My entire purpose is to protect the General until he fulfills his duty, at the request of Ling."

Riza nodded and looked to everyone at the table. "Roy, what do you plan on doing?"

"I plan on making a scene, my love." He kissed her hand and blushed lightly. "How good are you and faking pain?"

She smirked. "That depends, are you actually going to cause me to hurt myself?"

Roy took both of her hands and gripped them hard. "I'm going to be drawing a lot of attention on you. Can I trust you to protect our son, no matter what happens?"

She nodded and gave him a salute. "Yes, sir. I can do this, sir."

"Good," He kissed her palm again, and let go of her hands. "Havoc, be my eyes. I'm going to follow them."

"Aye, aye, sir." He looked to Kain and smirked. "Looks like the old dogs are back for one more run in the pen."

Kain smiled his usual giddy smile. "Sure seems that way, doesn't it?"

Roy looked to Elizabeth. "Leave alone. Make sure to keep as much distance between us as possible. I don't want them knowing we were together today. I want them to believe that we're going to two different places. Lead them to the lab, if you have to."

She nodded and kissed his lips. "I'll do what I can, sir."

"Good. We'll be along shortly." Roy remarked, turning to his team. "You have your orders. Keep in contact. Dismissed."

* * *

_We were introduced to Harvard a little bit more in the last chapter. Jackson may or may not be a bad guy yet, I haven't decided. But anyway, things are about to get really interesting. Sorry if it sounds really bad. I was kind of rushed. I have a 50 hour week this week, so I may not be able to update as regularly._

_Sorry for cutting off the scene as soon as I did; I wanted the rating to stay the same, so no M here. I might actually re-write it later and do a standalone chapter, I haven't decided yet. Use your imagination. lol_

_**Again, as I said in the last few chapters, the title of this and the description will be changing; but it's still the same story. Don't be startled if you see it in your alerts under a different name.**_

_**Read and review.**__ I'm mildly upset that I didn't even see anything from my usual reviewers in the last chapter. I was very pleased with that one. :[ Like I said; one is all it takes for me to keep going. ;)_


	9. Me Without You

**Me without You**

_I'd be packing my bags when I need to stay. I'd be chasing every breeze that blows my way. I'd be building my kingdom just to watch it fade away; it's true. That's me without you. – Tobymac_

* * *

_Havoc chewed _on the filter of a cigaretteand stared out the large opening in the clock tower, watching as Riza walked the streets alone. It was four in the morning, not even an hour after Roy told her to leave, and he was keeping an eye on her through the scope of his rifle. He kept a close eye on her, as per Roy's request, but didn't speak much while doing so. Part of him felt really awkward watching his former comrade through a scope from two miles away.

"Have we got eyes on Hawkeye?" Roy asked through the microphone.

Fury jumped slightly and looked to Havoc. Havoc gave him a hand signal, which was a yes. "Yes, sir, we've got eyes on Hawkeye."

"Good, keep it that way. I need this to go through without a hitch. Havoc," He replied sadly. "Don't wound her terribly. She's not going to know what happened until I can tell her. It's going to be a while before I can tell her. If you hurt her or the baby, you'll be a beef jerky for Hayate, got it?"

"No need to threaten me, sir, I know what I'm doing," Havoc answered, training the rifle on Riza's shoulder while she was walking along the street. "Got to make it look convincing, after all."

"I'm counting on my team to pull through on one last mission for me. Don't make me regret this. I trust all of you implicitly. Havoc, remember the signal." Roy sighed slightly and hung up the phone in his office, cutting the connection to Fury.

It got quiet. The snow continued to fall like it always did, mocking him and his uselessness. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the snow. She'd kill him later for this. How could a woman walk through war, through hell, and not come out with bullet holes? And worse, she wanted to fight while she was five months pregnant? Something in his mind told him this was a bad idea; stress on the baby was never good. He looked down at the snow for a moment, before he started running.

She was standing in the middle of the park, admiring the Christmas lights. Two more weeks until Christmas, and he had to worry about a mission. Damn him. She looked over her shoulder when she saw Roy coming towards her. _I'm going to cause a scene, my love_. That's right; he had to make this look convincing. Turning to him, she blinked and waited.

"You cheated on me?" Roy screamed at the top of his lungs, standing just a breath away from her. "I can't believe you!"

"I'm-I'm sorry?" She stuttered. Even though she was asking in confusion, he knew that to an outsider, it would sound like she was grief stricken. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I saw him! He was leaving the house, Elizabeth! Don't lie to me!" Roy screamed again, taking a step towards her. "_How could you cheat on me with a baby on the way_?"

She looked up at him with dark eyes, catching a faint glimpse of the clock tower in the distance. She couldn't see inside of it, but part of her wondered if they were hiding up there like the last time. She looked down and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"I don't believe you," Roy looked her dead in the eye. "I don't love you anymore. Don't ever talk to me again. We're through."

"What about the baby?" Riza asked, tears forming in her eyes. She was doing a great job of making it look convincing, but he wasn't sure she realized that _he _was faking. "Will you ever come see him?"

"No," Roy answered, turning his back to her. "Put him up for adoption for all I care."

He reached a hand up to flick his hair back. Closing his eyes tightly, he heard the gun shot, followed by the scream of agony. In the next few moments, his world went dark. _What had he done_?

When the ambulance came, the first thing Roy did was inform the paramedic that he suspected that the shooter was aiming for him. He looked longingly at Riza and closed his eyes, turning away. "It should have been me," He whispered sadly. "Will she make it?"

"I can't tell right now. Who is her family practitioner?" The paramedic inquired.

"Joshua Alajandro." Roy replied, watching them push the gurney into the back of the ambulance and drive her away. "I love you." He whispered sadly, watching them take her away.

* * *

Joshua came into the emergency room just as the ambulance did. Startled that it was four in the morning when he had received the call, and the fact that it was Miss Hawkeye that had been shot, he wondered what could have possibly happened. The paramedic briefed him on the fact that Roy had been far too grief stricken to come with, and that he suspected that the shooter was aiming for him. Joshua smirked slightly and waited for them to return her from surgery.

Three hours later, they'd successfully removed the bullet from her right shoulder, and patched it up by wrapping a bandage around her right arm and shoulder area. She'd gotten stitches, and was currently lying in bed. Having to do the entire surgery without painkillers was harder than she had thought. Her entire reasoning was absurd; _what the hell was he thinking_?

Joshua entered the room she was in, pacing the floor with a clipboard in hand. "Miss Hawkeye, you never cease to amaze me, you know that?"

She didn't move, but rather slid her gaze to look at him as he paced. "Thanks, I guess."

"No, see, you don't understand." He pulled up a chair and straddled it, looking at her in the bed, resting his chin on the back of the chair. "You're incapacitated now. You're not allowed to move; the irony here is that you were shot in your right hand, which is the one you need to shoot, so you're left without protection. And yet you trust your fiancé with your life? You're crazy."

"I may be crazy, but I know he wouldn't intentionally hurt me," Riza replied calmly.

Joshua laughed. "He _shot_ you! What more proof do you need that he doesn't love you?"

"Anyone can look with the eyes, but it's feeling from the heart that makes a person," She answered, resting a hand on her stomach. "More importantly, because I'm sure you're curious as well, is my baby going to make it?"

"Yes, you're lucky the stress and trauma didn't send your body into shock and self abort, which would have been devastating for you." Joshua replied, watching her hands move in circles on her stomach. "What happens if I kill you? Does Mustang commit suicide?"

"You won't kill me," She smirked. "Because you need your baby first."

"You're right," He answered, standing up and moving the chair back. "I sure as hell can't take it from you in this condition, he'd never make it. But there is one thing I can do."

She looked up at him, eyes widened. "Your intention was never to kill Roy."

"Nope, my intention was never focused on him at all; he just laid out the pieces for me. I put the puzzle together." Joshua paced around, tapping his lip. "I work for a very powerful organization. They want your son, because his alchemical powers will be very high due to his parentage. He could be raised to be a savior, and to this organization, he would be."

Riza looked away. "You killed my daughter on purpose."

"Women are useless," Joshua mumbled, still pacing. "I didn't kill her very easily. I had to use alchemy and medicine to determine which child I was killing. You see, while you were asleep on my table, I used that as a moment to kill your daughter."

"Monster," Riza gasped. "I can't believe you. Why let the boy live?"

"His ancestry is far greater than yours. Regardless of your father creating flame alchemy, General Mustang is the only one who can pass it on to a child. But if I were to re-create it, I could also pass said alchemy onto a child; which is where _you _come into play. I've got photographs of the etchings on your back; all it takes is one keen eye to determine the burned and scarred parts. And I know exactly who to ask. You see, Sheska, of the Central Library, has a photographic memory, which makes her a great artist." He continued on, monologue. "If I kill you, it wouldn't matter. I need to let you live, to let you _suffer_."

"And kill my baby," She growled. "You won't get away with this!"

"Isn't that what everyone says just before they die? That's what the last three tried to tell me." It was this point that Riza started to question if Roy really had a plan or not. He was usually so strategic and prepared, but he was nowhere to be seen. He wouldn't really let her die, would he? Joshua came over to her bed side and sat next to her. "I have a very special gift for you, Miss Hawkeye. This may or may not kill your son. Considering that his father already possesses amplified powers because of the Philosopher's stone used to bring back his eyesight, your child also possesses those same qualities. Once it's in your blood, it's permanent." He stood and smirked. "So! If I make you eat a Philosopher's stone, it could either kill you and the baby, or it could make you powerful and your child unstoppable."

Riza looked up, her eyes widened in horror when the suggestion came up. "You wouldn't dare!"

He sighed and sat down again, taking her hand. She yanked it away and growled at him. "Way to be civil! I'm trying to make your son the next furor!"

"His father is going to do a good enough job of that, thank you!" Riza shrieked.

Joshua growled something under his breath. "Please, _Elizabeth_, was it? Your husband always wanted to be unstoppable. This would make his son the greatest man to ever walk the earth. Why not share the power?"

"Same blood," Riza replied.

"Diluted by yours," He shot back, holding the stone in his hands. "You want this, don't you?"

Because she hadn't used painkillers in the surgery, it made it easier for her to move. But she also found it more difficult to focus when the pain hit. Her guns were stripped away and held at the nurses' station, and her right hand was useless. She took a moment to think, when he reached over and grabbed her by the throat. "Let me go!" She pleaded desperately. "I don't want anything to do with your plan!"

Joshua smiled and stared at her for a long time, admiring her eyes before he started choking her. When she gasped for air, he dropped the stone in her mouth and backed away. "It should start taking effect any moment now."

Nothing happened. Joshua looked upset. "Damn, guess I was wrong. Humph."

Elizabeth started coughing and looked towards the window. She barely caught a glimpse of something shiny out of the corner of her eye. Three seconds passed in utter silence before she heard a shot shatter the glass and saw Joshua falling to the floor in a bloody mess. "I forgot to tell you my best friend is a sharpshooter." She coughed again.

The door burst open and Harvard came running to her side. She was surprised to see Roy wasn't there. "Captain Hawkeye, are you alright?"

"No," She whispered sadly, sputtering and coughing. "He forced me to swallow something."

Harvard's eyes got wide and he started to dial Roy's number from the phone. Roy was with Havoc, explaining to the nurses what happened outside, as soon as he heard Harvard's words, he knew something was wrong.

Five minutes passed before Roy was in the room, skidding to a halt. "Elizabeth!"

"I'm okay," She whispered, coughing up blood. "I'll be fine."

"_You're not fine_!" Roy screamed, catching her hands in his and holding them close. "You're not fine, Riza, you're coughing up blood…that's a sign of an internal injury!"

She looked away. "He made me swallow a philosopher's stone," She cried sadly. "He said it would either kill us both, or amplify the baby's alchemical powers and kill me."

"He's right," Harvard added. "Since she has no alchemical powers, it would likely kill her, and since you already have a philosopher's stone in your blood, it would amplify that. Either that, or it may negate the baby's powers."

Roy looked up at Harvard. "It…can kill her?"

Suddenly his plan seemed pretty ill conceived. "Yes," Harvard answered. "It would be likely to happen. If…"

"If what!"

Harvard held out his hand and showed him the red bead, dancing with color. "I stole this from him when we passed in the hall. It was replaced with a packet of red dye. Kind of clever, actually. She'll be alright."

_I got fired from my last job for stealing… _Roy never felt more relieved in his life to know a thief. He wrapped his arms around Riza and held her close, closing his eyes, breathing in her scent. "God, I've never been so terrified in my life. Not since Promised Day."

Harvard stared at the shiny bead for a while, tossing it to Roy. "I don't see what's so special about these damn things. You die, you die, and you stay dead. No exceptions."

"Well spoken," Roy whispered, still cradling Riza. She was crying in pain because of her arm, and tempted to throttle him until he bled to death, but she held back. "I'll have to address the public tomorrow about the assassination attempt and your recovery."

Riza nodded and fluttered her eyes closed. "I need to rest; this has been a long five hours."

Roy nodded and kissed her head. "I'll be back to see you tomorrow."

She smiled and kissed him on the lips softly. "I'll hold you to it. Finish your paperwork."

* * *

Roy stopped at the nurses' station and requested to see Riza. The nurse smiled and led him to her room. He was going to give her some flowers to show he was missing her at home. He noticed that the room was dark, it was late at night. She was probably sleeping. The door was left open, so it was odd to him that she would be sleeping. It wasn't like her to sleep with the door open. Moving into the room, he turned the light on, dropping the flowers onto the floor when he saw the bed was empty.

Roy spun on his heel and looked to the nurse. "Where is she?"

"I don't know!" The nurse replied sadly. "She was with the guard the last I knew! Both of them are gone!"

Roy clenched his fists at his sides. "I'm going to murder him!"

"Who?" The nurse inquired.

"Jackson Harvard!" He screamed, running down the halls. He'd put Harvard in charge of guarding her, because Ling insisted he could at least do that much, but now he was starting to doubt the kid's trust again. "I can't believe this," He mumbled as he ran, his heart racing a million miles an hour. "Why would he kidnap her?"

* * *

_Yeahhh sooo…about that. This story is getting really out of hand, but trust me, there's a premise to it. I think. Maybe not? This chapter was kind of rushed, but I didn't want to drag it out. I figured I'd give the drama all in one dose. It makes it easier to deal with._

_So, what do you all think? Do you think Harvard is a kidnapper? Opinions in reviews? ;)_

_Read and review, as always. Just one. :)_

_Also, my always amazing boyfriend, Kiujazi helped me to flesh out this chapter, I wasn't sure if it sounded like something realistic to the FMA storyline, but he swears its fine._


	10. Made to Love

**Made To Love**

_I was made to love you, I was made to find you, I was made just for you, made to adore you. I was made to love, and be loved by you._

* * *

_Roy was a mess._

Sheska sat in his office, along with Havoc and Fury, watching the scene played out before them. It had been two weeks. It was actually Christmas Eve. And as he sat at his desk, his team surrounding him, he knew he couldn't force them to work through the night. Not even for the woman he loved.

"Sir, please try to eat something, it's been far too long." Sheska commented quietly.

He shook his head, a shell of a man. "I need to find her. I can't keep going on like this." He looked to his team, his eyes hollow and dark, the fire and intensity that had plagued him the first week was now missing. "You're all dismissed. It's a holiday, go home to your families."

Sheska was the first to speak up. "I don't know about you guys, and not to disobey orders, but I don't have a family to go home to."

Havoc nodded and continued after her. "All due respect, sir, Hawkeye wouldn't turn her back on any of us, regardless of dates. I'm not going to leave her behind."

Kain nodded. "I agree, it would be pretty selfish of us to leave her in this condition."

"I'm glad to know my team is still loyal, even though we were broken from the inside." He looked to Sheska. "Have you studied the tattoos on the body?"

"Yes, sir, they're for some organization called _Bloodtie_, but I can't find anything on them in the database. I vaguely remember reading about it some time ago. It's a three marking seal, a triangle, layered over top of a circle, and a six pointed star inside. The triangle is God, the circle is life, and the star is destiny…far as I can tell, they believe that their life is in God's hands, but…what they're doing is far from Godly."

"I'm not religious, Sheska," Roy commented quietly.

"Now is a great time to start," She answered inaudibly. "She's going to need help, and she's not going to get it from us right now. We're a little bit useless, don't you think?"

"Sir, what about Hayate? He'd at least be able to tell us how she got out of the hospital without question." Fury added. "I mean, it's worth a shot, right?"

Roy nodded, gathering a leash in his hands. Hayate looked up from under the desk. "We're going to go for a walk to find mommy, okay boy?" The dog barked. "I knew you'd see it my way." Hayate hated the leash. The dog was immediately out the door before he could slow him down. The rest of the team raced after him.

Hayate dragged him to the hospital, clearly having a memory like Sheska's. The shiba inu started sniffing outside, where the broken glass lay. Fury knelt down to examine the glass shards. "There's blood."

"This is a third story window, Fury," Roy commented, staring up at the window. "There's no possible way that she fell from here and survived. Not if she landed on glass."

"Perhaps they had a ladder of some kind?" Sheska suggested, looking up at the window. She knew the same thing Roy did. She may have made it with broken bones, but if the baby didn't, she would have bled to death. She didn't say that as she turned to Roy. "Hayate stopped sniffing…"

"Her scent was masked?" Havoc questioned as the dog stood up straight, staring to the left.

Roy didn't notice that he'd gnawed through the leash, not until the dog started to run like a bullet from a gun. "Hayate!" he screamed, running after him. "Hayate, stop!"

The dog didn't listen, even as he continued running to what looked like train tracks. They'd been abandoned for decades since the mine collapse. Hayate moved methodically along the tracks, still sniffing each wooden plank. He stopped and started barking. When the rest of the team caught up, Roy knelt down to see what the dog was barking at. At eye level with the dog, he could see, just off into the distance, the opening to a collapsed mine. "Don't tell me she's in there…" The dog took off again towards the mine entrance.

* * *

Riza could hear the barking of her dog off in the distance. If Roy came closer, they'd be going deeper into the mines. The captors had tied her hands in front of her, a small blessing considering she couldn't move her right arm. She could do without them throwing her onto her right side constantly though. Her whole body went rigid when they came back over to her. She screamed in pain.

"Why are you yelling?" One of them demanded, watching her.

She bit down hard on her lip. "Something's wrong with the baby!" She screamed again. She didn't know what this horrific pain was, but it felt like there was a pressure in her lower abdomen. If she could fake the pain, she would have. Her heart almost stopped. It was far too early.

The captor motioned for the doctor and looked at her curiously. "What is this? Why is she screaming in agony?"

The doctor looked her over, feeling places he probably shouldn't have been. There were several moments where he wasn't sure what was happening either. At first he thought she was faking the pain, but then he noticed what was wrong. "She's having this baby. Right now."

"But we're not done yet!" Screamed her captor.

"I don't care if we're done yet! I'm having this baby, and you're going to get over it!" Riza screamed in agony.

As all the men ran to gather supplies, knowing that if the baby did survive, they'd need it, so they took every precaution to make sure the baby made it. The two men ran to a different part of the mine. Several moments passed in silence, she was gripping both sides of her stomach, crying in pain. She could feel someone kneel beside her. "Are you okay?"

_That voice. _"Harvard?" She asked in a shocked whisper. "I thought I left you at the hospital!"

"I'm one of them," He whispered sadly, reaching out to touch her. "I knew they were going to be coming here, so I left the hospital early and took a shortcut. I've been hiding here since. I'm the one that's been feeding you at night when they sleep."

"You're an enemy?" She whispered between pants of breath. "He's not going to make it, is he? What did they do to me?"

"Your medical file was wrong; Joshua made a mistake when calculating your due date." He looked down at her. "You've never noticed that you're far too large to be only five months along?" Questioned Harvard. "Listen to me; I'm not going to hurt you. I respect the General far too much. My entire purpose for joining this clan was to keep you safe; Ling felt he owed it to you guys after how you'd helped him become emperor. I'm not going to cause you harm."

"But the—"

"The baby, I know. He'll be okay. Trust me. I have to go back into hiding now. I've got you protected." Harvard murmured, holding a gun to show her. He put it back into the holster between his arm and his shoulder, and looked to her with a long sigh. "Your baby isn't going to die, but your husband needs to hurry up and find you. I don't know how long your scent will stay out there with the snow. I was very careful about leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for him to find."

"You're very wise…" Riza whispered, screaming in pain again.

As the two men came back, she noticed that Harvard was mysteriously missing again,

* * *

Roy came closer to the opening of the tunnel, staring into the darkness. He didn't know how far or deep it went, but there were many networks in which they could have gone. The tunnel wasn't just one hole, it was several interconnected ones. He looked down at Hayate who whimpered in sadness. He'd never seen the dog sad before. Something was horribly wrong. Hayate's ears went back, as if being scolded at. Roy knelt beside him and pet his ears. "Its okay, Hayate. I'm sure mommy is okay." The dog barked in retaliation. "Don't sass me, she's fine wherever she is, I'm sure of it. My heart tells me she is."

Havoc and Kain caught up, Sheska following slowly behind. All of them, sans Sheska, were armed with guns, but Roy insisted they didn't use them unless they had an absolute clean shot. Moments passed with all of them exchanging glances. "Was Hayate wrong?"

A shriek echoed through the darkness and Roy stood up quickly. "She's hurt."

"She was shot, what do you _expect_?" Sheska screamed, and then bit her lip. "Sorry, sir. A little overwhelmed being outside my library."

"Its fine," He grumbled running into the tunnel. There was no light, so he snapped his finger and let the flame dance on his index until Havoc found something they could light as a torch. The screams continued, and Roy visibly winced each time, as if he could feel her pain. She wasn't going to die, he wouldn't let her. "Hayate!" The dog ran off again, barking into the darkness. "He's going to get shot!"

Havoc chased after the dog, but the four of them stopped dead when they heard a louder scream, followed by three gun shots. Roy froze in place. "No. NO!"

* * *

"I heard Hayate just now," Riza spoke in a hushed whisper, tears running down her face. "He was somewhere in here, barking."

"He gave me the opportunity to shoot your captors. Though one of them survived," He looked over at the man crying out in pain and ignored him. He let the doctor live, only because they needed him, but he wouldn't let the man anywhere near her body. "Listen, can you walk?"

"I…I don't think so," Riza murmured, her eyes closing tightly.

Harvard used a throwing knife similar to Hughes' to cut through the binds on her wrists. "We need to get you out of here, to a _real_ doctor." He helped her to her feet and closed his eyes, shaking off fatigue. "I've got to admit your son has impeccable timing. They suspect he's early, no one knows otherwise. I'm glad I managed to mess up your paperwork."

"You did it?" She asked. "You weren't even in the military yet. How did you get access?"

"I got fired from my last job for stealing." He began to usher her away, his hand at her lower back, her arm wrapped around his shoulders for support. The gun was held pointing to the ground. "I suspect the General is going to kill me."

"You've done a great job," She whimpered, her voice cracking with tears. "But I need to deliver this baby or it's going to be the death of me."

"Nah, this won't be the reason why you die," The Xingese man spoke, smiling softly. "You need to raise your son before you can die." He froze when he heard running feet behind him. It didn't take him long before he realized that they'd arrived. He turned slowly to Roy. "Are you going to light me on fire with her in such close proximity?"

"Let her go," Roy spoke gruffly. "Don't make me kill you, Harvard."

"Sorry, no can do, buddy. You told me to stand up to you and I am." He looked to Riza and brought her closer to his body when he felt her growing weak with another contraction. He looked to Roy again. "I'm trying to save her, are you honestly going to stand in my way?"

"You have that tattoo. It was in your medical file. You're one of them." Roy growled.

Harvard nodded. "Yeah, that's true, I am one of them. But you'll never understand my connection to them." He turned to Riza again, feeling her finger nails digging deeply into his skin. "Your precious girlfriend is going to lose the baby."

"Let her go!" Roy screamed. "I'll kill you, Harvard!"

He turned and continued to usher her out of the mine. "Sorry, sir. Not an option."

"Damnit!" Roy screamed, chasing after him. "I won't let you kill her!"

"Kill her?" Harvard shouted. "Who said anything about _killing her_?" He turned to Sheska and nodded. "Can I have your scarf, pretty?"

Sheska nodded and handed him the scarf. "Here."

He turned to Havoc and nodded again. "What about you, what are you willing to offer? Can I borrow your jacket?"

Havoc blinked several times and handed over his jacket.

The Xingese man smiled softly and gently helped Riza to the ground again. "Looks like we don't have a choice. Your dog is starting to run around in circles, he knows what's coming."

Riza groaned and held her stomach again. "I'm going to kill every single one of you very shortly."

It got very quiet in the mine as Roy suddenly realized what was happening. Dropping to his knees beside her, he peeled his gloves off and tossed them at Havoc. "What can I do to help?" Roy asked voice hoarse. "Please, I would feel useless if I didn't."

"Fire," He whispered absently. "I'm going to need fire very shortly."

"She's going to lose the baby! It's too early!" The doctor screamed from behind Mustang's men.

"Oh _shut the hell up_!" Riza screamed, closing her eyes tightly. "Damnit, Roy!"

Roy moved quickly to her side and sat on his knees, lifting her head so she could rest there. He reached over to take her left hand, watching as the man operated on her. His eyes were dead. Deep down, he feared the same thing. It was way too early for this. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth." He started crying, his head hanging. He leaned over her, taking both of her hands into his and closing his eyes. She squeezed rather hard against another contraction, the pain in her wounded shoulder suddenly not an issue.

Harvard repositioned the jacket under her, so the baby would at least land on something clean and not the dirty floor. He quietly looked up at the mother and father and wondered if this was really going to work as planned. Closing his eyes for a moment, he looked up at Riza. "You're not fully dilated yet, so you won't be able to deliver just yet."

Riza quietly nodded and looked up at Roy, stealing a kiss quickly while his eyes were closed. "Roy, this is quite possibly the most terrifying experience of my life."

"Agreed," He whispered, staring down the length of her body. "I don't know what to do. I feel so useless."

"You're not useless," She whispered, voice ragged with emotion. "You're scared. That's natural."

"Does anyone have water?" There was silence in the mine. He turned to Havoc, since he looked like he could run the quickest. "I need you to get me some snow, top layer, no dirt. Use one of the pans at the camp to put it in." Havoc nodded and ran off.

Riza began to whimper in pain again, but Roy gently kissed her forehead. "You'll be okay, Elizabeth."

"I'm more concerned with Rowland." She whispered. "I don't think he'll be okay."

"He has to be, his mommy and daddy are fighters," Sheska responded, moving forward to kneel beside Riza. "I'm not sure what to do to help, but I'm here if you need it."

"Why can't we move her elsewhere?" Roy asked quietly. "Wouldn't it be easier?"

"She's too far progressed in her labor. If we try to move her now, it could have damaging effects on herself or the child." He looked to Roy. "Trust me, I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm going to help her as best as I can. Near as I can tell, I'm the only one other than the lunatic up there that has any experience with this."

"Experience?" Roy questioned.

Harvard nodded as Havoc came back with the pan of snow. "My mom, I watched my dad deliver my sister. You learn on the spot or people get hurt." He looked to Roy. "I'm going to need your fire."

Roy nodded and slipped on one of his gloves, looking to Harvard. "What am I doing?"

"Melt the snow to room temperature. Can you do that?"

"I've never tried to temper anything," Roy whispered. "But I'll certainly try."

"Hold back and pretend you're lighting a match or a campfire." Harvard commented. When Roy snapped his fingers, the snow quickly dissolved in the pot. Thankfully it was rather large, so they wouldn't need to do this many times. He cleaned up around the area a little bit and waited a few more moments before instructing her to push.

Roy leaned over her body, holding her hands very tightly, his eyes closed with each wave of pain and scream that emitted from her tiny body. "You'll be okay, Elizabeth."

Harvard looked up at the duo after a long time of screaming, cursing, and crying. "One more, Captain."

Roy watched in silence as his child was born, but nothing happened. There was no crying, no shouts of joy, no excitement.

Harvard stared down at the small child, using the scarf dipped in water to wipe off all of the blood. He was quiet and methodic as he did so. He held up a throwing knife and nodded to Roy again. When Roy snapped his fingers and sanitized the knife, he looked away when Harvard cut through the umbilical cord. "Your daughter is very quiet." He announced quietly, as if trying to keep from awakening her.

"Daughter?!" Both mother and father screamed in confusion.

Harvard nodded quietly. "They were going to kill the baby if it was a girl. I knew from talking to the General that he wanted his baby to survive, so when you came into the hospital because if the 'miscarriage' I changed your information to make them believe it was a boy so they wouldn't kill her." He sighed. "I thought it was pretty clever. The worst part is Joshua actually believed it was twins."

Roy looked down at Riza and kissed her hard on the lips. "We've got a daughter!"

"I'm confused," Riza whispered hoarse from screaming. "Is she alive?"

Harvard nodded and held out his hand to Kain. Kain reluctantly gave him his jacket. After stripping all the incidentals off of it, he wrapped the child up in it and handed her gently to the parents. Roy didn't move at first. He helped Riza to sit up, kissing her hair softly as he wrapped his arms around her ribs and held her close. She reluctantly held out her hands for the baby. When Harvard laid the infant in her arms, she felt her world stop. "I'm a mother."

Roy nodded against her neck and kissed her ear. "And I'm a daddy. How about that."

"Guys," Kain added, checking his watch. "It's Christmas morning."

Riza laughed to herself and cradled her daughter close to her body. "So it is."

"Christine?" Roy suggested.

Riza shook her head. "Let's stick with Ruth."

Roy looked down at her, almost with sad eyes. "Let's call her Christine Ruth Mustang."

"No, that's too much like your foster mother," Riza added. "Ruth Anne Mustang."

"R.A.M.?" Havoc questioned. "That sounds terrible for a little girl."

Riza shook her head and stared up at Roy. "Ruth Christine Mustang."

"Perfect." He kissed her lips head and stared down at his daughter, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm still so confused…shouldn't she be smaller for five months?"

"My paperwork was doctored. Harvard tried to tell you that before, but you wouldn't listen to him. All of the information we knew about the pregnancy was wrong." She smiled to Harvard. "I know you don't like him much, Roy, but he did save your daughter's life."

"I guess I do owe him that." He looked at Riza again, still longing in the moment. "It's a blizzard outside."

"We have to take mother and child to the hospital," Sheska announced, knowledge finally coming back to her. "They have to make sure nothing is wrong with either of them."

Riza looked down sadly, holding her infant daughter close. "Yes, but part of me is _terrified _of going to a hospital again."

"All things considered," Roy whispered, moving his arms to gently stroke his daughter's cheek. "We should go anyway, because it is snowing, and she may get sick. It's really chilly here." He turned to Havoc, sighing softly. "I'll replace your uniform."

"Thank you, sir." He looked to Riza. "Thanks to Harvard standing over you in such a way, I was spared from the horror of seeing my former superiors' unmentionables. I would have been scarred for life."

"I'm more impressed that I managed to think to wear a skirt two weeks ago," Riza announced, closing her eyes. She handed the infant off to Havoc when Roy brought her into his arms and cradled her. "Roy. We're a family."

"We always _were _a family," He announced, kissing her forehead again. "All this time, and I didn't even know."

She smiled and closed her eyes, content to be in his arms. "But, we'll be the best parents ever."

"If you can stop getting kidnapped and shot!" Roy screamed.

"Hey now! You shot me!" She shouted back.

Havoc raised his hand slightly. "Uh, actually, I shot you."

Harvard looked to the doctor behind them and shook his head. "I would normally be the bigger man and let you live, but…I've been looking for you for far too long to do that."

Roy turned to look at Harvard. "Is he the one?"

"He admitted it to the Captain, yes." He looked down at him, holding the gun level with his head. As Roy turned away, a gunshot echoed through the mines. Roy didn't have to turn to know that this chapter in Harvard's life had finally come to a close.

* * *

"She's so sweet, isn't she?" Roy stood over the bassinet and watched his daughter sleeping soundly. Gracia hovered over the other side, watching the infant as she slept. They were both amazed, and when Roy recounted Riza's story to the older woman, she was even more amazed. He looked down at his daughter again and frowned. "I can't believe Christmas is already almost over, and I forgot all about Elysia's birthday."

Elysia turned to them and ran across the room to look at the baby. "Its okay, Uncle Roy! I'm just glad to have a playmate."

"Be careful, Elysia. She's not a doll." Riza cautioned, lying against the pillows on the bed. "She's tiny, but she's not a doll."

Elysia nodded and kissed Ruth's forehead. "She's a cutie, Uncle Roy."

"Just like another December baby that I know," Roy smirked and ruffled Elysia's hair. "You were born pretty much the same way."

"I know, mommy told me." She looked to Roy with a smile. "She's cute! I want to snuggle her!"

"Let her sleep," Gracia warned, smiling to Roy and Riza. "Congratulations; Maes would be proud."

"Maes would be gushing over the tiny baby, while simultaneously holding three more of his own." Roy interjected, staring down at Ruth again. "Parenting is going to be difficult isn't it?"

"It can be, and there are going to be times where you doubt yourself." She hugged him gently and stole another glance at Ruth. "But with a family as huge as yours, you've got nothing to worry about."

He smiled softly and nodded. "Thanks, Gracia. Happy belated birthday, Elysia."

As the duo left the room and he was left with just his immediate family, he couldn't contain the giddy smile that crossed his lips. Scooping Ruth up into his arms, he scampered to the bed, where Hayate was laying at Riza's feet, and sat on the edge. Riza laid her head against his shoulder and admired the baby. "Today was turbulent."

"Nothing new for us," Roy countered. "But she made it."

"_We _made it. I was sure you wouldn't find me. Harvard told me that he left a trail for you to find us." She added, closing her eyes. "He's an amazing guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him."

"He hooked up with Sheska," Roy added.

"Oh my God, really?" Riza screamed in delight. "They're _adorable _together!"

Roy laughed, then frowned with the baby started to wail. It was the first time since she'd been born that they heard her cry. He smiled again and rocked her gently back and forth. "I love her voice."

"Me too," Riza complied, kissing his lips before closing her eyes again. "I'm going to rest for a while. Don't drop her. And work on your speech!"

"I will," When he noticed Riza was asleep, he smiled to Ruth. "I won't."

* * *

_Whoa. That's all I have to say._

_Rating was changed to T because of this chapter._

_**Read and review.**_

_**Lothmel**__; I never wanted Harvard to be a bad guy. I liked him too much. =)_

_More to come if my days aren't so hectic. Working 3pm to 11pm the next whole week, so I may or may not be able to update. I'd like to introduce Daddy Roy, by the way. Wait until you meet Mommy Riza. She's fun to write. ;)_


	11. Need Each Other

**We Need Each Other**

Riza was curled on the bed, she was donning nothing but a tee-shirt, since it was awfully hot and Roy refused to open the window because of the baby. He quietly knelt down beside the bed to kiss her. "Elizabeth, I love you." Though she didn't reply to him, he knew she heard him. He was buttoning his shirt when he heard the infant crying in the next room. Riza would likely go get her, but he found himself making his way to the nursery instead.

There, lying in the crib beside the window was a tiny bundle of pink. Her little fists rose into the air and her mouth opened up into a wide, earsplitting cry. His eyes softened, as he leaned over the crib to pick up the child. Cradled ever so gently in his arms, as if she was glass, he brushed a hand over the child's unruly ebony locks.

"You're going to be a heartbreaker," Roy whispered, kissing the child's forehead. She was only a few weeks old, and he was terrified of dropping her and making all their dreams for nothing. It had taken him weeks to actually talk Riza out of an abortion, and he didn't want to be the reason their child died after all. "You look just like me."

He began to rock back and forth on his heels, dancing around the room. "But that's not a bad thing, you know. You'll be beautiful, and you're going to have guys fawning all over you. Please, don't be like mommy and daddy." He whispered, clutching her close to his chest.

The infant began to cry again, so Roy carefully stood by the window, staring out at the moonlight that was illuminating the room. He looked down at the infant, smiling softly. "Hush, little baby, don't you cry. Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby. Everything's gonna be alright, daddy's not leaving you behind tonight." He rocked back and forth, cradling her softly. "It's okay, sweetie, you're not alone. Daddy's here."

Riza stood in the doorway, her hand hovering on the doorjamb. She didn't want to disturb the scene. He looked so serene with the child. He'd never held her. The day she was born, he held her, but he hadn't touched her since. Riza was sure he didn't want to be a father after all, that the idea of it being real scared him. It's as if their roles reversed. She folded her arms and leaned against the door.

He turned sharply and saw Riza standing in the doorway. He didn't know what to say, so he held his arms out for her to hold the child. His eyes darkened again, as he stared at the ground. "I can't calm her down. She doesn't want to stop crying. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

Riza closed the distance and gently took the child into her arms, kissing her forehead. "That's because this is her feeding time. She's hungry." Roy looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell him what to do. Typically she'd nurse the infant, but he was so willing to help that she let out a soft sigh. "There's some milk in the fridge. Heat up some boiling water, and put the bottle in for thirty seconds. Test it by putting some on your inner wrist. If it's too hot, don't let her have it."

"It's so…complicated." He whispered, leaving the room.

He came back several moments later holding the bottle. Riza looked up at him, holding a finger to her lips. "Shhh," She said softly, touching her hand to the child's cheek. "I finally got her to calm down, but I'm sure she's still hungry."

Roy froze and held up the bottle. "Right! Here, I wouldn't want to starve her."

Riza stood from the rocking chair and motioned for him to sit. He raised a brow at first. "Sit, Roy."

He reluctantly nodded and sat in the rocking chair, looking up at her. "What are you…" Before he could speak, she laid the child gently into his lap. "You don't…"

"I'm going to teach you, don't worry." Kneeling down in front of him, she touched their daughter's hair, pushing it from her eyes, and gently took his hand, guiding it down to the child's mouth. "There's a rule of thumb here, she'll curl her tongue." Riza demonstrated for him. "Like this. The nipple for the bottle will fit in the curl of her tongue. She might push it aside, and she'll start crying, but its okay. It's easy to fix." The mother replied.

Roy nodded and looked at her with a tiny smile as the child drank from the bottle. "She doesn't seem very hungry…"

"No, she's just a slow eater, like her momma." Riza replied, smiling down at the infant. "She's very calm when she's eating. She's a lot like you in that respect. But she's slow, so it takes her a few minutes to actually finish. She never drinks a full bottle, maybe a half at a time."

He nodded, his hair falling in front of his eyes. "She's so serene."

"She is, isn't she? It's funny, considering the circumstances she was born under." Riza folded her arms on the top of his knees and rest her chin on her arms. Staring up at him with wide amber eyes, she couldn't help but notice a sense of sadness. "I thought you wanted to be a daddy?"

"I never thought it would be this hard." He whispered sadly. "I almost dropped her last night. It didn't hurt her, and she seemed okay, but I'm still horrified that I let it happen. She's so tiny, what if I'm wrong?"

Riza gently reached for his hand, touching his gently. "Its fine, Roy. She's okay. As long as she's still doing what she normally would do, she's okay."

He couldn't help but frown some more. "It's so difficult protecting her," Roy whispered, touching the child again. He ran a hand through Riza's hair, staring down at the infant in his lap. "I feel like I won't be able to keep her from all those troubles."

"Being a daddy is hard work, Roy. I imagine it's going to be harder than being furor. But you can do this. You handled being blind, I think you can handle being a daddy."

He nodded to her and looked to the infant again. "She's so tiny. What if I break her?"

"You won't break her," Riza said with a laugh. "They're very resilient."

Roy nodded and watched as the child started wailing again. "Oh God, I broke her!"

Riza jumped back at the sudden outburst and started laughing. "No! She's okay, Roy. She needs to be burped." Riza noted that he was in uniform, likely getting ready for work. She pushed her hair back and grabbed a blanket, throwing it over his shoulder. She gently took the infant into her arms and re-positioned her against his shoulder. "Pat her back, gently."

The first time he did it, the child cried louder. He flinched and moved his hand away, his head staring out the window. "I hurt her."

Riza took his hand and put it back against the child's back. "Like this," she murmured, lifting his hand and putting it down again. "Just really gently, like you're patting Hayate."

He nodded and began to follow her instruction, waiting until he heard tell that the child was done. When she spit up on the blanket, he was pretty sure that was an indicator. "Oh God, she's sick!"

Riza started laughing gently. "She's not sick, she just ate too much."

Letting out a sigh, Roy looked to his daughter and smiled. "She's so adorable." He smirked softly. "And she has daddy's temper."

"So I've noticed," Riza murmured. "She bites. It seems that she enjoys my breasts as much as you do."

"Do you ever…y'know…get aroused when you nurse her?" Roy asked, blushing softly under his hair.

She laughed and rose to her feet, kissing his lips gently. "No. I'm only sensitive in that area for you. But it does hurt if I don't nurse her right away. That's how I know when she needs to be fed, because they start to hurt really badly."

"Do they hurt now?" Roy inquired softly, looking up at her.

She nodded. "Only a little bit, though. I'll probably just juice myself like a cow later."

He raised a brow at the image, wondering if she actually did that. "So that bottle was full of…breast milk?"

Riza nodded.

"Oh my God, I drank that!" Roy screamed, his face bright red.

"There's nothing wrong with that! I've done it before. I think every woman has tried it at some point," Riza commented, kissing his head. "Stay with her for a moment, okay? I'm going to go get dressed. Oh! And make sure that you move that blanket before it ruins your uniform."

He nodded and ripped the blanket off of his shoulder, looking down to the child again. "I think mommy's gonna come to work with us today."

* * *

Riza held the infant in her arms, walking along with Roy. She was gently stroking the infant's back, watching the scenery change. Roy gave a sidelong glance at her, raising a brow questioningly. "Why don't you put her in the carriage?"

Riza stared at him suspiciously, holding the wrapped bundle closer to her arms. "Because it's warmer if I carry her. Plus, she likes feeling like she's with someone."

He sighed and resigned himself to just agree with her logic, shaking his head. "You're crazy, it's freezing out here." He held his arms out to hold the infant. Riza reluctantly handed her over. Roy gently took the tiny bundle and held her in his arms, staring down at her. The child stared back, as if challenging him. He narrowed his eyes. "I don't think she likes me much."

"Nonsense, she's your daughter, of course she likes you," Riza admitted, holding up a finger. "Besides, if she didn't she would be crying."

Roy couldn't help but agree with the logic, his eyes watching the woman he loved with their infant daughter. He couldn't help the giddy smile that crossed his lips. "I can't believe we're parents."

She looked at the baby again, gently brushing her hair back. "She looks so much like you, it isn't even funny. Black hair and black eyes? How unfair is that."

"Don't worry, we'll have more." He murmured with a sidelong glance at her. He bundled his jacket a little tighter and made sure to cover Ruth so she wouldn't get cold, then gently laid the infant in the buggy, covering her softly with a blanket, and laying her bunny stuffed animal next to her. He knew she didn't know what it was, but it seemed to calm her a little when she had it nearby. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled to Riza. "I can't believe you wanted to come with me to work today."

"Why wouldn't I? I want to show off our little treasure." She smirked and looked down at the baby, folding her arms over her chest. While she hadn't lost all of her weight, he seemed to prefer it that way. She watched as he pushed the buggy containing the infant and smiled softly. "You're a fine daddy, General Roy Mustang. You'll do just as good as a Furor."

"Hm," He looked up at the steps to Central Headquarters and handed Ruth to her mother with a small smile. "Take her for a moment." He folded up the stroller and held it with one arm while helping Riza up the steps. He sighed. "I guess you're right, having this is too much of a hassle, since I'd have to do this each morning." He stopped and set the stroller aside, then turned to her and wrapped his arms around her body, touching his forehead to hers, careful not to crush Ruth. "Are you sure you won't come back to my command? I know you won't want to come back right away, but…"

"They'll hang you," Riza commented softly, looking down to Ruth, shifting her weight to the other arm. "I won't let you be a martyr because of me. It's a small sacrifice to make, and Ruth is more than worth it. I've got everything I ever wanted, right here, in this moment. But you've still got some work to do, sir. I can't let you slack on that."

"Hm." He looked to Ruth as well, sighing gently as he turned to go back inside. "I guess that's fair. But you don't know what you're missing, Captain. You could have everything, even the world, in the palm of your hands."

"I have the world in my arms, that's a lot more than the palm of my hands." She answered with a smile, following behind him, in her typical fashion. Riza was a follower, she would protect him at any cost, but in the bedroom, she was a leader. She would never let him lead. It was fine, though. His pride was more concerned with outward appearance, and their bedroom trysts were _not _the talk of the office. They hadn't been since she became pregnant. "Roy."

He stopped, but he didn't turn to look at her. "Yes, Hawkeye?"

She took a deep breath, a smile gracing her features. "Thank you, for the opportunities, the enjoyment, the precious gift, and the memories. I appreciate all you've done for me over the years. I could _never _make that up to you."

"You have," He answered, staring ahead of him. "Her name is Ruth. And she's everything you'll ever need to give me. You already gave me your heart, and your name, and everything else. Maybe it's time I give back to you. I'm a little selfish, aren't I?"

"Not really, because she's the most amazing gift you ever gave me, the second one being your last name."

"You haven't got that yet," Roy commented quietly. "But you will soon enough, and when you do…Mini Mustang here will finally be inducted into the family."

"She _will not _be working at your mother's bar!" Riza shrieked in disbelief.

Roy laughed, his voice low and melodic. "No, I meant that the girls at the bar would be so overjoyed to meet Ruth and baby her and coddle her. Oh God, our daughter is going to be a weakling. How can that be possible if her parents are so strong?"

"She won't be weak." Riza replied casually. She used her free hand to shove him across the threshold. "Stop putting off your work, you need to practice your speech!"

Grumbling something about not wanting to work, Roy sighed and continued down the halls.

Two hours later, he was standing in front of the mirror, speaking slowly to draw out his words. Sheska was coaching him, explaining that there were words he was mispronouncing, and he needed to fix it. He cussed up a storm before his cheeks grew bright red and he stopped. Something in his mind kept screaming _little ears hear what you hear_. "Sorry, Ruth."

Riza sat on the couch, the child lying in her lap happily. She leaned over and kissed Ruth's forehead. "Do you hear that voice? That's daddy. He's going to be a very powerful man, and when he gets there, he's going to do very nice things for this world. Aren't you proud of your daddy?"

Roy turned to steal a glance at Riza for a moment, smiling before going back to practicing his speech. "She's going to have a complex from us referring to her as a boy for so long."

Riza quickly covered Ruth's ears. "Shh! We don't speak of that!"

Sheska chuckled slightly and looked back at Roy, fixing his uniform. "You're addressing the Ishvalen public tomorrow, are you ready for this? You've practiced your speech at least fifty times; I think you've got it memorized."

He nodded. "I'm ready for this."

"Good, because, at this point, there's no going back. You're stuck now." Sheska commented.

Somehow Roy got the idea that she was referring to the campaign and the baby. He nodded again, watching Riza's reflection in the mirror. "I know."

* * *

_Ladies and gentleman, I introduce you to my favorite chapter so far, because of the Daddy Roy moments. And Riza, ah! She's an adorable mommy. Wait until the speech. =D_

_Pardon the continuity errors. I'm fixing them as I see them or they're brought to my attention._

_**Read and Review, Purdy please.**_

_Couldn't sleep so I took an older stand-alone chapter I never posted and edited it to fit the scenario lol. I'm a cheapskate tonight._

_Also, I want to say I LOVE YOU GUYS. You have no idea. I met one of my readers at work the other day, and it blew me away. We started talking about Brotherhood, and I said I wrote fanfiction, so she started going on about this one story they were reading, and I was just…in awe that someone actually read and told me about my own work. And I was blown away by this. I don't think you guys understand how amazing you are, and how much I'm driven by your kind words. I know my stories get a little convoluted, and that's because I write in different emotional states as well as different sleeping patterns, so it's not intentional. But thanks for bearing with me so far and giving me a good run. This story isn't over by a long shot though, so don't get too sad._

_I'm seriously in shock that I've written 11 chapters in a matter of a week. I've really been sucked into this story, like, you have no idea. I find myself planning out chapters while I'm at work – and I _never _plan my chapters, yo! So I hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it!_

_As long as there's still at least one person reading; I'll still be writing for them._


	12. Atmosphere

**Atmosphere**

_Just turn around and I'll be there. I'm moving into your atmosphere._

* * *

She unpacked the clothes and carefully laid out Roy's uniform onto the bed. Since the military had helped to start rebuilding the Ishvalen country, they were more accepting of the family coming to stay for a few days. It wouldn't be a long trip. Roy didn't want Ruth to be exposed to the desert where he had ended lives and stained the sand red very long. He was away with Milo, making sure everything was prepared for the speech in the morning.

Riza was very quietly sitting on the edge of the bed with their daughter, watching her raise her little fists in the air. "Years ago, I agreed I would never come back here," She spoke quietly, telling the infant the story. "And I had decided that it would be the last place I wanted to go. I never wanted to be reminded of those lives I took. But, when daddy decided to run for furor, and I found out about you, all of that changed. I couldn't keep living with all that guilt on my shoulders. So I decided to bring you with so you could learn about the culture. I don't want you to hate anyone because they're different than you. I want you to be strong and tolerant. Can you do that for mommy? Can you be a tough girl?"

A young blonde girl stood in the doorway, watching the mother talking to the child. She wore a tiny smile, and a long white sari. Her eyes were bright red, almost as if she was albino, but her skin was dark. She didn't move from her position in the doorway. "I respect what you are doing for our people."

Riza looked up, almost startled. "Oh, Yandi. I didn't hear you come in." She offered a small smile to the woman whom opened her home to them. "Would you like to hold the baby?"

Yandi nodded and crossed the floor, sitting across from the elder woman. "She is small, is bringing her here a wise choice?"

"General Mustang fears that leaving her at home would be dangerous for everyone involved. I don't want her leaving my side, but we trust you. You haven't given us reason not to. You opened your home to us, and I'm eternally grateful." Riza replied, brushing a knuckle over Ruth's unruly black locks of hair. "She's beautiful."

"Like her mother," Yandi replied, staring down at the infant. "You have an interesting shade of brown eyes, Miss Hawkeye. Do you not suppose you may be part Ishvalen yourself?"

She had thought about this before, but Grumman never let on. He had been quite angry when the war started, though he never expressed why. And her father expressed shame multiple times for what he'd "done" to her mother. Riza sighed. "I have wondered myself. This is why I'm glad that the General is fixing this land. I'd like to know more about your people."

Yandi smiled softly at her. She was sixteen, but she was very wise for her age. She'd seen much of the world, through conflict and adventuring. She was considered a prophet among her people. She just considered herself to be 'open'. The blonde smiled to Riza again. "I will start by teaching you that we sing to our children at a young age," with that, the teenager began to sing in her language. Riza stood up straight, listening. _That song…_

"That's the song you were singing in the bathtub," Roy answered from the doorway, startling the both of them. "You said you didn't know the words, but you knew the music. That's the song."

Riza brushed it off as a coincidence and looked at her soon-to-be-husband. "You're back early."

"Milo suggested that I take you out and show you the wonderful work our military has done." Roy looked to Yandi and Ruth. "We can leave Ruth here with Yandi. I trust her."

"But what if—" Riza protested, but Yandi raised a hand to quiet her. "Yes, Yandi?"

She offered Ruth back to the elder woman. "I will show you how to make a baby wrap. You will dress as my people if you wish to be exploring the town. You are considered an outsider, Miss Hawkeye. They do not like you because you are an unwed mother. Try to gain acceptance and follow our rituals."

Riza nodded sadly. "Alright. What have I got to do?"

* * *

Roy had gone downstairs to drink some tea with Harvard, surprised to hear footsteps coming down the landing. When he turned, he was shocked to see Elizabeth. She had her hair down straight, cascading down her back. She was wearing a wrapped white sari that had purple and gold streaks down the border. There was another cloth tied secure around her shoulders, with Ruth sleeping peacefully inside of it. He smiled softly. "You look like you belong here." He gave a look at Yandi and smiled gently. "Thank you, Yandi."

The teenager nodded and bowed slightly. "I will babysit Mr. Harvard. You may go on a trek of the towns. It certainly is beautiful what you have done for us."

Roy nodded and offered a hand to Riza. "Shall we go see the progress our initiative is making?"

She nodded and followed him outside, looking down to Ruth sleeping against her bosom. "She's going to love learning about her culture."

"Her culture?" Roy inquired with a startled glance.

Riza nodded. "My mother. She was Ishvalen. Grandpa Grumman knew the whole time, that's why he was so angry with me for going to war. I killed my own people, Roy. I'm not proud of that fact. Yandi…she's a cousin. A distant relative. You didn't find it slightly odd that she looked like me?"

Roy shrugged. "I had noticed a resemblance. How did you find out?"

Riza looked down at Ruth. "She had a picture of my family. My mother and father at an Ishvalen wedding ceremony. They were happy. They weren't forced. He loved her, genuine and true."

Roy snaked a hand around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "I'm glad you're one of them. This makes it easier for me to understand your logic." They came to a rather large building, one with stained glass windows and a beautiful view of the city's cliffs. "This is the church. It was the first thing we rebuilt for them. It was modeled completely after the original church that was destroyed in the fire. They chose to keep all original building materials that could be salvaged and use them in construction somehow."

Riza nodded and sighed. "We'll never get the blood out of this sand."

"No." Roy commented, moving his hands down her arms and pulling her close. "But we can try. And at least we'll be giving Ruth a chance to know every side of her heritage, not just my side. I'm glad you know, Elizabeth. I can't wait to visit here every summer and show Ruth about her heritage. It's going to be fun. And we'll both learn at the same time, which is what we needed to do from the start."

She nodded. "Alright. So where's this library you've been preaching about?"

"Ah!" He dragged her, almost forcefully, by the wrist to a smaller building with open windows. Inside, from what she could see from the window, were stacks of books. "Sheska helped us find all the things that referenced their religion, culture, and background, and we reprinted it for them. All of their scrolls have been preserved, and kept in a safe in the back so that only the elders may access it."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "We're doing a wonderful job. Did Milo tell you this was okay?"

"It was his idea," Roy tugged her body closer to his and looked down at Ruth, careful not to squish her. "Let's get married."

"Today? But what about our family?"

"You _are _my family, Riza. Let's do this; this way people can't give you those demeaning looks. Though, I do admit that I love you in the sari. It's gorgeous on you." He kissed her hair. "Please? Let's do this today. Come on. I want you to be my wife before I give my speech."

* * *

It took three hours and a lot of patience from Yandi and her sisters to get everything prepared. Riza was locked away in her room, along with Yandi's four sisters. Roy was downstairs with her father, staring down at the floor. It was taking far too long to get things ready. He looked up at Yandi's father. "Does it always take this long to prepare for a wedding?"

"When it is such short notice, yes," Replied the man casually. "My daughter is much excited for this. Will you be wearing your uniform to the event?"

Roy shook his head no. "I want to be as traditional to your people as possible." He looked to Yandi's father and smiled sadly. "So, that means I have to borrow some clothes from you."

The man nodded. "It is alright. Your wife will be beautiful."

Meanwhile in the girl's room, Yandi instructed Riza to stand still and hold her arms up while her sister's wrapped the sari. It was really just a long piece of cloth, and little else. There were beads on the edges, which dangled beautifully when it was wrapped correctly. She took the remaining few feet and draped it over Riza's shoulder, straightening it out. "We will need to find you a ceremonial headpiece."

Riza looked up curiously. "No, there's no real need for that. I just –"

"You want it to be traditional? Let us work." Yandi scolded, running off to dig through her mother's jewelry. She found the item she was looking for and ran back, smiling as she extended it between her fingers. It was a golden woven chain that looked like a net with beads dangling at varying intervals. She placed it over Riza's head and wove it into her hair so it would look a little more authentic. "There. What else are we missing?" Yandi's younger sister Rena slid a pair of flat red shoes from under the bed towards her. With a smile, Yandi let Riza slip into them. "There! All finished."

"What about Ruth?" Riza questioned.

Yandi tapped her lip. "Hmm…I don't know. Ruth should be okay just swathed in a blanket. They don't expect much from children. We should hurry and bring you to the church! Do you have rings?"

Riza shook her head no. Kaila, the oldest by twenty-two years, reached into the dresser and retrieved a pair of rings to hand to Rena. "Little Rena, you will be in charge of keeping these safe until the wedding is over. Promise me you will not lose them."

Rena nodded and put the rings into her pocket. "You look really pretty Miss Hawkeye."

Riza smiled and looked to Ruth, lying in Yandi's arms. "I guess we should become a family."

Rena ran from the room and instructed her father to keep Roy from seeing the bride, when she knew Roy was secure in another room opposite the house so he couldn't see, the girls ushered Riza from the house and to the church. Roy arrived a few minutes later. There weren't a lot of people in the church, sans Yandi's family. She made sure not to let anyone know, for fear of upsetting the people. "Father, as the pastor of this church, will you officiate the ceremony?"

Her father nodded and ushered Roy to the front of the church, where he stood patiently, his golden and red tunic betraying nothing of what scars lay underneath. He turned when he saw Riza, mouth agape. "She's beautiful."

"Of course, I don't know how to make someone ugly," Yandi commented to him, still cradling Ruth softly to her chest. "It was my mother's wedding gown."

"Your mother must have been gorgeous," Roy commented, smiling when Riza came to a stop beside him. He stared longingly at her. "You look beautiful."

She blushed. "I feel like I'm in some kind of movie," She whispered back, listening while Yandi's father, Bruce, walked them through the ceremony. Since Roy and Riza's family were not present for the first part of the ceremony, they skipped to the next part. Since each was handed what looked like a lei by the priest, Riza looked to Roy with a small smile. She placed it around his neck, and he placed his around her neck.

"This signifies that you both have accepted each other as husband and wife," Bruce continued, looking to Roy and Riza. "I will walk you through your vows."

Staring at each other through the vows, Roy couldn't help but wonder if Riza was getting cold feet. She shifted nervously, but stayed on topic the whole time. It took a few moments to do the vows, but when it was finished, Roy gave a soft smile. "Are we married yet?"

Yandi smacked him on the arm. "No! There is still more to be done!"

Roy couldn't lie. He felt ridiculous.

Yandi quickly ran forward and took part of Roy's tunic, tying it into a knot. She then ran over and did the same with Riza's sari. Roy gave a weird look before saying something under his breath. Yandi kicked him. "You will get over it! It is worth it, I promise. You said traditional."

He couldn't argue.

She led them to a large open fire in the middle of what looked like a fountain and instructed Riza to take Roy's hand. She told Riza to lead him around the fire three times. Then Roy would take her hand and lead them the rest of the way. Yandi explained that this meant Riza would take charge for the first few years of the relationship, and then in the next, or later life, Roy would be in charge. When they stopped finally, Yandi started to laugh. "You look so silly!"

"Augh! That's what I've been trying to say!" Roy shouted, calming when Ruth started to cry. "When is it over?" He groaned.

Yandi turned to Rena. Rena nodded and handed Riza and Roy the rings. "You do not have to do anything, just exchange the rings. We kept it as traditional as possible, but in order for it to be recognized by your country, you'll need to exchange rings. Otherwise, you are married by both Ishvalla and your God." With a nod, Yandi ran off to take care of Ruth.

Roy took Riza's hand and held it in his for a long time, caressing her palms. "We're married, Elizabeth."

"I know." She answered sadly, shaking her head. "I should be happy. Why am I not happy?"

"Perhaps because your daughter is wailing like a lunatic while we're having a sappy moment?" Roy commented, kissing her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered, staring at the ring as he slipped it onto her finger. It was a simple silver band that had a tiny onyx stone in the middle. His was just a plain silver band with etchings on the side. She was beginning to suspect that these weren't her mother's rings at all.

When they finished their ceremony, Riza quickly kissed Roy before running off to find Ruth.

* * *

Roy stood up on the podium that had been set up the night before, his hands a little shaky. He was prepared for this; he knew what was going to happen. He had Riza by his side, and the fear wasn't so bad, but it was still there, evident. Riza was standing in the crowd somewhere; he didn't want her brought into the public's eye. He scanned the crowd for her and smiled a little when he saw her, carefully holding Ruth, and explaining to the child that this was her daddy's big moment.

Roy coughed slightly and looked down at the people in the crowd. Yandi was nowhere to be seen, but she'd said she'd be there later. He'd be a little more confident if he saw someone he knew in the Ishvalen community. "My name is General Roy Alexander Mustang, of the Amistris military."

There was a collective gasp among the people before he continued. "Please don't think ill of me. I know what we did many years ago to your public was wrong. This is why I have tried to do my best to fix the damage we've done. I know we can't bring back lives, or change an outcome, and I know the damage that I and my wife have done alone. After spending several months with one of your people, I had come to realize that what we were doing was wrong. It wasn't fair to try and eradicate your race because of order. So, I decided to do everything I could to bring peace to our countries. My men and I have done a great deal to rebuild your country. We've started small, but I've seen big results. And since we've allowed you back into your holy land, there's been less fighting. A young girl by the name of Yandi had approached us when we first arrived here many years ago. She was fourteen at the time; expressing her joy in what we were doing for her people. She opened her home to us. I'm glad for small blessings in people like that."

Riza looked up, listening to him speak. This wasn't part of his speech. She looked down at Ruth and frowned. Having heard this speech at least ten times, she knew this wasn't a part of it at all. Catching his gaze, she gave him a look of utter shock. What was he doing?

"Recently I married one of your own," Roy continued, again hearing the collective gasps. "I hadn't known she was Ishvalen until last night, just before the ceremony. Yandi had shown us that they were related. I love my wife and daughter dearly and would not intentionally turn my back on them, regardless of circumstance. I hope this could be a new opportunity for your people, to accept what you do not understand. It's no secret that I'm running for the position of furor. My intention is clear. I want to attempt to change what damage has been done. I realize once you put something in motion it cannot be taken out of motion, but that doesn't mean I can't try. I would like my daughter to be able to grow up peacefully, to learn the things this nation has to offer. To be aware and accepting of things she doesn't understand. I would like to teach her about her heritage." He sighed and looked down. "I know that your culture doesn't allow marriage of another race; nor does it approve of having children out of wedlock. I suspect this is why I and my wife get weird looks when walking through your streets. This is a culture I was not fully prepared to understand, and if I had known what to expect, I would have prepared for it. Elections are open to your people to cast vote. I hope you will make the right decision."

It got quiet. There was a slight murmuring among the crowd. Suddenly a loud shot rang out through the crowd. Seconds passed in an instant. Riza saw him fall backwards, her heart stopping in her chest. _NO!_ The next thing she was aware of was trying to run towards him through the crowd, but Harvard was pulling her back by the arm. "Don't go up there! They're testing you to see if you'll reveal yourself!"

"They know who I am!" She screamed voice full of tears. "_Please_!"

Reluctantly letting go, but following behind her, they climbed up onto the stage. Blood was pooling around his body, and he wasn't moving. Riza handed Ruth off to Harvard and fell to her knees, pulling Roy into her arms. "Please stay with us. Don't go yet." She cradled his head in her hands and cried. "Don't leave us behind."

* * *

_Rushed. Crappy. Working waaaaaaayyyy too many hours. Haven't had time to do anything but eat, sleep, and work. UGH! Hopefully this will be straightened out soon. Anyway. __**Read and Review**__. That's all folks. I'm done for now._


	13. This is Love

**This is Love**

_It's in the heart of a soldier as he takes a bullet on the front lines._

_Love is this, this is love._

* * *

The sound that filled the room made Riza want to fall apart. They were doing so well with the Ishvalen compromise that perhaps she'd taken such for granted. Her amber eyes drifted to her husband, lying comatose in a bed. Perhaps this was God's way of saying that they weren't ready for this adventure yet. But she knew it wouldn't slow him down, not even by a long shot. She drew her knees to her chest, her hand idly toying around with her bare feet, watching his chest rise and fall.

"He'll make it you know."

Startled by the voice, Riza turned to see Edward standing in the doorway with Winry. The younger blonde had two children in her midst, but she'd instructed them to be very quiet upon entering the room. It was clearly a hard task for Maes, since he wanted to gab on about his turtle. "I know." She answered rather sadly as the family entered the room. "How did you find us?"

Edward sat in the chair towards the back wall at the foot of the bed and propped his feet on the edge of the bed. "Really, Lieutenant? You didn't expect me to know about this campaign thing? Actually, word got out that the dear General here was shot," He thumbed towards Roy. "I couldn't – at least in good conscience – let him die without saying thanks for what he did for us. Where's the spawn?"

Riza gave him a glare that could have melted ice and looked away. "Protected, with a confidant of ours. Edward, what if he doesn't make it through this time?"

"You'll have Ruth," He murmured, moving his arms as Nina climbed into his lap and lay her head against his chest. "I heard you got married, why weren't we invited? Winry was going to plan and everything."

Winry sat beside Ed and held Maes as if he was a baby, while the tiny child sucked his thumb. "I'm sure it's been tough on them, Edward."

Riza held up a hand and sighed. "No, he's right. I should have let you guys know. But Roy was so insistent about being married before his speech; I'm starting to suspect he knew about this from day one."

"Colonel shit? No way. There's no way he'd know this was going to happen." Ed flinched when Winry backhanded him across the head. "Oww! Okay, I won't curse in front of the children! Lieutenant—"

"It's Captain now. But since I'm no longer enlisted, call me Riza."

"—Riza, he's survived through worse. It's just another scar to add to his collection." Ed commented with a tiny smile. "He was fatally wounded, and survived – by cauterizing his own wound. Not only was he stabbed and nearly bled that day, but he endured the pain of lighting himself on fire multiple times. He lost his eyesight _and _had his hands pierced clean through…I'm wondering how the man even still does his alchemy. How did he not lose his hands?"

"He was lucky," Riza shrugged and smiled to Winry. "I'm sorry you haven't gotten to meet Ruth yet. She's a cutie."

"I heard she has black hair and black eyes, just like Roy." Winry answered and offered Riza the child in her lap. "Maes is a handful, he likes to collect animals off the side of the road. It must be from Trish's side of the family."

Riza reluctantly took the boy into her arms and held him like a baby, staring down at the blonde boy. He had bright blue eyes like his mother, a large smile adorning his baby-face. He looked up at Riza and laughed. "She's got red eyes, momma."

Winry smacked him with the back of her hand, hitting him square in the cheek with her ring. "You don't insult someone for their heritage!"

Ed nodded. "The Ishvalen have done a lot for us, they kept Mr. Roy alive, and they protected me for a long time. Without them, daddy wouldn't be here," Ed answered, continuing where Winry left off. "Granted, they also did their own fair share of damage…"

Winry looked down. "The point is, we're tolerant of anyone, and that's how it's going to be in this family. No exceptions. Got it, Maes?"

The little boy nodded and slid from Riza's grasp, crawling around on the floor. "There are no toys in here."

Riza shook her head and looked back to Roy as Winry took the children by the collar and left the room. The older blonde was curiously, almost intently, willing him to awaken. "It's been six days, Ed. I don't think he's waking up."

"Where was he shot?" Ed questioned, standing to lean over her chair. Riza pointed at his left shoulder, just barely above any central damage. "They hit him in the heart?"

Riza nodded. "He was pronounced dead at the scene, but they managed to get him started again. The doctor didn't tell me how." She looked to Ed. "I suspect they used alchemy."

Ed sighed. "Even if they did, you would know. Human transmutation doesn't work, and they wouldn't have done it for someone as trivial as him. I think he just has a strong will to survive."

"You think so?" Riza inquired.

Ed nodded and smiled slightly. "He's a strong man. He survived a lot to be with you. I don't think this is going to be what kills him. He's got a family that needs him and he knows it. You hear me, you lazy ass? Your family needs you. Stop being such a whiner about the pain and get the hell up on your own two feet. She's gonna leave. You're gonna let her go?"

"I can't leave," Riza whispered. "I'd regret it."

"Shh!" Ed corrected. "Let him believe the lie." He commented as he walked out the door. There was no progress.

* * *

Harvard paced the hallway with Ruth trying to calm her down, while Riza read stories to Roy from the newspaper. She figured when he did wake, he'd like to be kept up-to-date. She looked away when she heard the faint tapping on the door. Harvard entered with a now silent Ruth and smiled down at her. "Here you go, Hawkeye." He murmured, handing the child over as if she was a sacrifice. Riza smiled gently and nodded thanks and took Ruth into her arms, repositioning her. The woman gently moved Roy's arm, and placed the infant in the crook of it, as if she was a teddy bear.

Ruth began to cry again.

Riza jumped.

The child wailed, her little fists pumping the air as if they wouldn't stop. Riza moved to grab the baby, but before she could, she noticed the arm protectively curl around the tiny infant's body. He didn't move much else, but as his grip slowly tightened to a comfortable medium, the baby stopped crying. Riza was in awe. "You're alive."

"Sore," He grumbled, voice gruff from days of being comatose. He didn't open his eyes. He didn't move. He just lived in the moment, enjoying the time with his daughter and wife. "She's not happy. Feed her?" he suggested.

Riza nodded and grabbed her. "I'll feed her. Are you okay?"

"Sleepy," He commented. "I've been hearing you and Ruth all week. Glad you're both okay."

Riza looked at him with quiet eyes. "I think this is the part where I berate you about being an idiot and leaving yourself open like that, but I can't do it with Ruth in here."

"I heard Fullmetal stopped by," his normally gruff voice was raspy and faded in spots. "Glad he's growing up."

"I agree," She commented sadly, looking over at him. "You really scared us for a while there,"

He frowned, eyes still closed. "I'm sorry, love. Has Ruth been much trouble?"

"No, she's usually pretty calm when she's near you." Riza's eyes darkened. "They haven't found the shooter yet."

"Not surprising," Roy commented. "I caught a glimpse of them before I was hit. I suspect that they wanted me to remember them." He finally shifted so he was sitting up slightly, this way he could look down at his daughter, sleeping in his arms. "I can't use my left hand."

"Isn't that the hand you snap with?" Riza commented quietly.

He shook his head. "No, I'm ambidextrous. I don't think they realized that when they shot me, but they're trying to keep me from being able to use my alchemy. I wouldn't be surprised if it was an Ishvalen who did it."

"This is going to be a minor setback on your campaign," Riza commented slowly, helping him to move his arm so he could hold Ruth closer. She sat back down and watched him, being very careful not to speak over him. "Do you still want to do this? Be furor? Have a family?"

He frowned. "I wouldn't give you or Ruth up, not even if it promised me a chance to be furor. You're my life. No exceptions, Hawkeye."

"Its Mustang now," She corrected with a tiny smile.

He nodded. "Ah, right. I forgot. I'm sorry."

She looked at him again, her eyes dark. "Winry dropped off the wedding rings you bought. She said you asked Edward to keep track of them. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't buy them. Winry and I made them. It took several days and lots of patience, but we made them out of my fire and your bullets." He smiled a little at her and sighed. "If you don't like them, I suppose you don't have to use them."

"No-I-I hadn't realized you even went to Resimbool; when was this?" She looked at him curiously.

He smiled ever so softly, giving the famous Mustang smirk. "When you were in the hospital, around the time you thought you miscarried. Fullmetal came by, so he kidnapped me and brought me to Resimbool."

"That's a three day trip!" She shrieked.

He nodded. "You were out for a long time." The man looked down at the child sleeping content in his arms and frowned rather sadly. "I can't hold her."

"Have you lost mobility in your left hand?" Riza inquired.

He nodded sadly. "Yes. I won't be able to wear a wedding band."

"Don't worry." Riza smiled. "I know a great auto mail mechanic."

He looked at his wife with wide black eyes. "Now, I don't think I need to cut off my arm…I just don't have mobility…"

"Why have a useless arm?" Riza inquired softly. "I'll be with you through your surgery."

Roy stared at Ruth for a long time, his heart pounding rather painfully in his chest. "It would be nice to be able to hold Ruth again."

"Now you're seeing it my way!" She didn't mean to sound excited. Pocketing the rings for now, she leaned over to kiss him. "We should get this out of the way so you can start campaigning again." Gently reaching over to pluck Ruth from his arms, she nodded. "I'll go call Winry right away."

* * *

Winry stood over the operating table and watched Roy very carefully. Riza had left Ruth to lay in the crib in the nursery, this way she could be there for the surgery. The blue eyed girl stared at Roy suspiciously. "Can you feel anything in your left arm?"

He shook his head. "No."

She pinched his arm. "Anything?"

"Nothing." He confirmed. "This…is going to be strange for me."

Ed leaned in the doorway and watched, his head shaking. "It'll be fine. It takes some getting used to, but you'll get it alright. You just won't be able to use your left hand for attacks anymore."

Winry shook her head. "It depends. I can use a synthetic fiber coating that mimics skin if you'd like. No one will need to know its auto mail. It's something new I've been working on, but it's very convincing."

"Fullmetal, I don't want to hear a damn word from you. You got your arm back. I never will." Roy growled, closing his eyes. "Just do what you have to do, Winry. I'm already a smorgasbord of wounds and casualties."

Riza took his right hand into hers, closing her eyes as she leaned down to kiss him. "It's going to be okay. You'll be fine."

"Why are we doing this in the first place?" Roy questioned his wife.

She smiled softly. "So you can play with your daughter. And rule a country – literally – with an iron fist."

He smirked at her reasoning and kissed her back. "Alright, fine. We'll go with it."

Winry frowned. "We'll have to cut off your arm…"

He nodded. "Go for it. I'll never be able to use it again."

Five minutes and no painkillers later, there was a very loud screaming through the house. Ruth started crying and Maes and Nina ran to see what was going on. Ed blocked the door from them. "Daddy! Someone is dying!" Nina screamed in horror. "Save them!"

Ed sighed and closed the door. "Its fine, mommy is helping him. Let's get you guys back into the playroom to keep Ruth Company."

"Save him, daddy!" Nina shrieked again.

Ed shook his head. "It's going to be fine, Nina."

Riza felt him clench her hand tighter and tighter, his breathing slowing to a painful wheeze. The woman leaned over him slightly and brushed a hand over his hair, drenched in sweat. "You're fine, Roy. I swear."

He didn't respond to her, he growled something rather deeply as Winry began to cut again. It wasn't until she hit bone that he started to cry in pain. He turned to Winry and gave her a pleading glance to stop, his eyes hollow. "Winry," He rasped painfully. "Please."

She nodded and filled a syringe with some kind of clear liquid and shot it into his shoulder. "It'll be a few moments before you feel nothing. I'm sorry, but I had to cut higher in order to get active nerves. The auto mail won't work without acting nerves."

He nodded slowly and closed his eyes. "Ruth won't recognize me."

"Ruth is too young to know who you are right now anyway. She's only a month old at most."

"You don't remember how old our daughter is?" Roy rasped again. "Shame on you."

She noticed his eyes start to flutter closed. He was breathing deep, as if in a sleep. "Is he okay, Winry?"

The younger blonde nodded. "Yes. He's alright. Just give him some time."

* * *

Six hours of horrific surgery later, Roy was carefully relocated into a spare bedroom with Ed and Al's help. He was sleeping, at least they assumed, and he was breathing normally. He didn't look around, he didn't move, he left his dead arm to hang there.

Riza paced the room with a crying Ruth. His eyes shot open and stared at her. "She's scared of me."

"No, she's not scared of you. She's just cranky because we interrupted her nap."

"She hates me." Roy answered.

Riza glared at him. "Stop that, your daughter can't hate you. You're her daddy. It's impossible for her to hate you. Do you want to hold her?"

He went to reach his left arm up and whimpered in pain. "I can't."

Ed sighed from the doorway and watched the family. "He's going to need therapy to deal with the pain at first. As your arm grows stronger, you'll get used to the little bit of extra weight. She tries to build them lightweight and durable, but that's not easy to do sometimes." Ed sat in a chair beside the bed. "I hated this room as a kid."

"I imagine." He looked to Ed with dark eyes. "Will I be able to hold my daughter?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, it's just going to be a while until you can get used to your own strength. If you tense up your arm, you could hurt her. Just be patient and don't rush results. This is going to put a damper on your campaign. I know you really wanted this, but patience is key."

"I know," Roy whispered, watching his wife with Ruth out in the hallway. "I miss my family."

"I understand." Ed nodded. "You'll be alright. If Ruth is really scared of you, we can do what Winry suggested with the synthetic fibers. It'll keep her from thinking there's anything wrong until she's old enough to understand."

"I want to kill the son of a bitch who shot me." Roy growled. "I want to make him feel what I felt."

"I get a feeling your wife wouldn't be okay with that. It's her job to protect you." Ed handed him the wedding band forged from her bullets. "There, put that on so she doesn't freak out."

Roy nodded and slid the ring onto his finger. It was a weird sound, but Winry had fixed it so it was a tiny bit wider and wouldn't screech against the metal of his arm. He took off the other one and held it in his fingers. "Can you make sure Yandi gets this back?"

Ed nodded and looked out the window. "You've got a long way to go towards recovery, y'know. Don't drive a wedge between yourself and your family." He sighed and looked to Roy. "Harvard is working on finding who shot you. Havoc is going to transfer your paperwork down here. We'll do all your campaigning from here. You're not allowed to quit just yet."

* * *

_I'm not entirely sure where this is going. Just go with it. Lol. I think working this many hours is fucking with my head really bad. I can't remember what I was doing with this._

_The last chapter, the wedding, was a traditional (or somewhat) East Indian ceremony. I did it like that because the Ishvalen dress is similar to Indian culture._


	14. Thrive

**Thrive**

_I want to thrive and not just survive._

* * *

Grumman arrived in Resimbool during an early morning in March. The wind was brisk, but it wasn't enough to warrant a jacket. Although Fallman and Breda had escorted him to Resimbool, it was Harvard and Riza that met him at the train station. Riza didn't offer much of a salute. Harvard stood at attention, holding a file under his arm. Grumman stopped and smiled gently at Riza. "I'm glad to see you're still holding up well."

Riza nodded. "It's been difficult for us. I let Roy stay at Winry's so that Ed can help him, but I've been with Harvard working on the investigation. Did you manage to retrieve the bullet?"

Grumman nodded and handed her a small envelope. "It's coated in blood; I don't know how much you'll be able to see as far as serial numbers."

Sliding the envelope into her pocket, Riza gave him a gentle hug. "He's doing well with his progression. He's healing quite nicely. I think keeping him here in the country is safer than being out in the open for now. He's convinced that the automail won't help him."

"Automail?" Grumman asked skeptically. "What do you mean?"

Harvard took the lead and navigated them through crowds of people. She turned to Grumman and spoke softly. "He was shot in the left shoulder, high enough to not cause much damage to his heart, but low enough to paralyze the nerves in his left arm. Since he would never regain feeling in the arm, we decided it would be best to give him automail. At least that way if it came down to something, he wouldn't be totally useless. Besides, who wants to wave a dead arm around?" She sighed. "He's been adjusting hard to the change. But I won't leave his side. I refuse."

Harvard stopped and turned to them. "Did you want to tell him what else is going on?"

Riza smiled brightly. "Ruth is teething."

"Ah! My great granddaughter is growing up so quickly! And you got married! I'm so happy!" Grumman had been out of the loop for some time, so it was only right he learned now. The older man stroked his beard. "How will Roy be with speaking before the public?"

"Hesitant. Not unless I'm protecting him. If you need him to speak, he will, but not without me at the podium with him." She smiled. "No offense, Harvard, you did an amazing job protecting my daughter and I."

"None taken, Ma'am. We need to get to a safe place where we can discuss the details of the investigation."

Riza nodded. "I know just the place."

* * *

Winry set down a tea kettle onto the table, along with some glasses for them to drink from. Grumman graciously nodded thanks. Riza and Harvard both sat across from him, staring intently at the tabletop. Harvard was the first to speak. "This is in regard to the investigation."

Grumman nodded. "Where is Roy?"

"Out front with Ed, Maes, and Nina." Riza replied, pointing to the file. "Roy said he caught a glimpse of the shooter. He said he recognized them."

"Recognized them?" Grumman asked.

Riza nodded slowly. "He was wearing a state alchemist's uniform."

Grumman gasped. "Do you suppose that Olivier sent someone to eradicate him from the running?"

"I don't think so, that would be too easy." Riza whispered. "No, I suspect that this was from someone else; someone a little more nefarious and in possession of a rather high-caliber weapon to do that much damage with a single shot. I'm thinking it was the man who kidnapped me."

Grumman curiously watched the scene play outside the window. Roy was tossing a ball for the kids to chase. He had to admit, after a few months of working with it, Roy seemed to be handling automail just fine. He seemed to be pretty happy, playing with Maes and Nina. Den ran around his legs, barking playfully while Roy used his left hand to throw the ball. Ed considered it 'training' for how to properly gauge his strength, so he didn't accidently destroy the ball. It seemed reasonable, actually, if you looked at it differently. Grumman suspected Ed was just using this as a chance to get the kids to stop begging to play with Uncle Roy.

"He seems happy," Grumman observed.

Riza nodded. "The peace is doing him some good. He still isn't allowed to hold Ruth, until Ed deems him ready. He's working hard to get to that point. It's a minor setback in his campaign, but he's still been going to the rallies and speaking on his behalf. He won't back down." Her voice was cold and distant. "I'm afraid being in this position will put him in danger. This is twice now."

Grumman nodded. "It comes with a lot of power, people envy that. But he'll have one of the best security teams in the country. He'll have you protecting the little ones at home, and he'll have Havoc behind him in the ranks. You know as well as I do that Havoc is the next best sharpshooter sans yourself."

She nodded in agreement and turned to stare at Harvard. "You're new here. Regardless of circumstance, you'll still need to earn your trust. That group of people that kidnapped me, that doctor made it out of the tunnels alive." She sipped gingerly at her tea and waited for Harvard to speak, but the man stayed silent. "I want you to know that I trust you, and if the furor trusts you, then I suppose I can as well. But you've got some time before you can earn my husband's seal of approval. You hesitated on the battlefield, and he will view that as a weakness."

"Havoc hesitated as well," Harvard observed. "Yandi mentioned that Havoc didn't take the shot once the General was down. He could have easily killed whoever did it."

"Cementing my theory that it was someone that he knew," Grumman commented. "It was someone that took him off guard. Someone he wouldn't suspect."

"There are many people he wouldn't suspect," Riza quietly added, pouring some more tea into her glass. She looked out the window quickly, a small smile forming on her lips when Roy fell backward and held onto Nina, laughter rising through the air. "I would be considered one of those people. Ed, Nina, Winry…they'd all be those people. Even Harvard. The people he calls his confidants made it this far for a reason. He trusts us all implicitly, with his life. And we failed to protect that."

Grumman sighed and reached a hand out to touch hers, smiling a little when she felt the cool metal of her wedding band. "He gave up a lot to come this far; he gave up you as his second in command. That was hard for him. He loves you, though, and he would never _ever _view you as a failure. You did what he asked you to do. You protected Ruth."

The elder woman sighed and looked away. "I understand that, but what good is protecting Ruth if I can't protect him? She'll need her daddy at some point."

"Elysia seems to do a fine job surviving without Maes," Harvard observed, immediately regretting his words. "Jesus, I'm sorry. I forgot that was a touchy topic for you."

"Yeah, it kind of is." She stood from the table and folded her arms, leaning against the window sill so she could watch the kids playing outside. "I'm starting to think that perhaps he'd do a much better job ruling a country out here."

"It's not a matter of _ruling _as much as it is _guiding_." Grumman corrected. "He raised Edward. He's a great person altogether, if you can get passed his ego. There's no reason he couldn't win this election, regardless of the past events. He's noticed the mistakes he made in Ishval; he's working on fixing them. That's more than anyone else can say. I'm starting to suspect that having automail is a requirement to be a state alchemist."

Riza looked up, startled. "His re-evaluation is coming up."

Grumman nodded and idly sipped on his tea. "It is. He'll need to do it before going into office."

Harvard eyed them both suspiciously over the teacup. "Does this mean that he can't fight without his arm in working order?"

"No," Riza murmured. "There's one thing he never let onto the general public. He's ambidextrous, but that doesn't mean that he can control the attacks as well with his left hand. Roy fights with his right hand. His movements are so quick and fluid, most people assume it's the left. I assume that's why he was shot in the left shoulder."

"They were aiming to kill, not paralyze." Harvard added.

Riza shook her head. "That was a high-caliber weapon. If they wanted to kill him, they didn't even really need to aim. They shot him on purpose, but they were aiming to paralyze. It was someone who didn't want him using that hand again – someone that had a basic understanding of the human anatomy and nerve clusters."

"How does his alchemy work, anyway?" Harvard questioned.

Since Grumman trusted this man, and he was already part of the team, she suspected it was okay to tell him. "His right hand glove is made of ignition cloth. When he snaps his fingers, it creates a spark. He uses the transmutation circle to ignite the flame and control it. From there, it takes quick alchemy and arithmetic to figure out how to control the flame and pinpoint his accuracy. It's much more complicated than that, but that's a simple explanation. The thing most people don't understand is that while his alchemy may not be useful in the rain, destroying his gloves cannot stop him. During the fight in the tunnels, in the abandon labs, he carved a transmutation circle into his hand. All he needs is a starter."

"He's a powerful man," Harvard mumbled, watching her arms fold over her chest. She was staring longingly out the window. "You've loved him for a long time, haven't you?"

She nodded. "Since we were children; my father trained him in the art of flame alchemy."

Harvard nodded slowly and watched her. "You two make a great team. I'm sure that when he wins, you'd be the most amazing woman to be by his side."

"Thanks for the kind words," She mumbled, pushing off of the wall. "But, I don't expect them from you."

Harvard nodded. "I'll stay in here and brief the furor. You can go do what it was you needed to do."

Riza nodded. "Thank you, Harvard."

* * *

Winry leaned over the blanket that was laid out on the floor, her blonde locks falling over the infant's body, causing Ruth to wiggle with delight. The infant was smiling happily when Winry handed her the rattle to play with. Clutching it tightly in her hand, the baby began to shake it around.

Riza smiled from the doorway. "You're a great mom."

Winry turned to Riza and smiled softly, blue eyes bright. "I miss having babies around here. Maes and Nina grew up so fast. And being twins, they were a lot more complicated to handle. But Ruth, she's a cutie. I like her." Winry smiled. "I just can't get her to laugh."

The elder blonde crossed the distance and knelt next to the blanket, leaning over her daughter's small body. "I'm. Gonna. Getcha!" She mumbled as she tickled the baby's sides. Ruth squealed with delight. Her shrill laughter filled the room for a long time while Riza tickled her. "I knew you'd like that. Mommy's know this stuff." She gently picked up Ruth and held her in her lap. "Wanna go see daddy?" Ruth's expression didn't change. She seemed to be observing. "I'm gonna take your silence as a yes. Thank you for changing her and getting her dressed, Winry."

Winry nodded and stood, following the mother and child. "It's no problem. I'd love to watch her more often."

"Roy suggested having you and Ed raise her…back before I quit the military. He said you would have done an amazing job. I said I couldn't do that to my own child with good conscience; especially knowing that you had your hands full with Maes and Nina." She paused before going outside to sit on the steps. "Thank you for everything you've done for us, Winry."

Winry shook her head. "Thank you for bringing my husband back alive."

Riza gave a small smile. "You need to thank the big man for that; I had nothing to do with it."

Winry went back into the kitchen to make lunch while Riza went outside to sit on the steps with Ruth. Winry had put a pink sweater on her, mostly because it was brisk and she didn't want the baby to catch a cold. Ruth sat happily in her mother's lap, arms flailing about wildly. Riza stared down at her and kissed the top of her head, letting Ruth hold her fingers. "Do you want to play with daddy?"

Roy's head shot up when he heard the word _daddy_ uttered from those lips he knew so well. He didn't move to go over to them. It was the first time he'd seen his daughter since getting the automail put on. He knew something had changed in his wife if she brought the baby out to see him. Ed nudged him gently. "Go on. Go see her."

With a wide smile, Roy started to walk towards his family, kneeling on the ground in front of his wife and daughter. "Hey there, little one. Do you remember me?"

Ruth's toothless smile was so wide, Riza almost recognized it as Roy's. The little girl held out her arms in a fist. Her eyes full of tears. "She wants you to hold her."

Roy didn't move at first. He stared at Riza for a long time. "May I?"

Riza looked over his shoulder to Ed, who gave a nod. She smiled and handed Ruth to him. "You may."

He carefully held out his arms while Riza placed the child into them. "Do I have to—?"

"No, she's old enough now that she can sit on her own." Roy carefully shifted the child, earning a small smile from his wife. She was trying hard not to help him. As soon as the cold metal came in contact with Ruth's feet, however, the infant started wailing. Riza stood up quickly.

"Oh God, I hurt her! I knew it was a bad idea!" He went to hand the infant back, but Riza placed hand against Ruth's back and rubbed it gently.

"She's just shocked because of the cold feeling. She's not used to it yet. Remember, our baby can't tell us things yet, so we just have to figure them out." She smiled and kissed the top of Ruth's head again. "She loves her daddy, see?" As the infant stopped crying and snuggled against his shirt, her eyes closing softly, Riza couldn't help but smile. "He's protective of her."

"Someone has to be," He replied softly. "Thank you for allowing me to hold her today. I'll keep working at this so I can take care of her again."

Nina and Maes came running over, poking at Roy's legs. "Can we play with Ruth?"

His eyes got dark suddenly. He didn't want to give up the time he had with his daughter, especially knowing this would only happen once in a while until he could use his arm correctly. He frowned reluctantly and handed her back to Riza. "They want to play with her."

He went to walk back over to Ed, but Riza's voice stopped him. "Play with your daughter for a little bit, Roy. She's been waiting to see you."

He never did tell her about the wide, goofy grin that he got. Ed saw it, but no one but he and Ed knew about it. Roy smiled and turned to his wife. "Thank you!" He screamed, almost as if he was a child given a toy on Christmas. Kneeling in the grass beside the children, he played with Ruth, smiling happily.

Ed sat beside Riza on the steps. "He's making considerable progress."

"He'll need to be re-evaluated for his State Alchemist's title," Riza murmured softly. "Will he be able to fight as well missing his left hand?"

Ed nodded. "He'll be alright. Right now I know how important it is for him to see his daughter, so I've been helping him with his arm strength first. We'll work on attacking later. I just hope he realizes that I'm no longer an alchemist."

"Ah, yeah, that might be difficult for him to understand, but I think he'll be okay." She rest her chin against her palms and watched him, a small smile on her lips. "He's happy. I missed seeing that stupid grin."

"He loves her." Ed commented. "He's worked for months just for this moment."

"I know, nothing motivates him quite as strongly as family." Riza commented, smiling when he looked up at her. He smiled back and went back to talking to Ruth, excitedly running around her like a child with ADHD. "You do know that you and Winry are his only family besides Madam Christmas, right?"

Ed nodded. "I've always viewed him as a dad. He protected me and took care of me. You and he did a lot for me when you didn't have to. You're always welcome here. I'm sure Winry won't mind."

"She wants another baby. I don't think she's going to let us leave with Ruth." Riza mumbled softly.

Ed looked up at her. "She'd better, because she already has another baby."

Riza turned a startled glance at him. "What do you mean?"

"Oh! So she _didn't _tell you she was pregnant again? Hrm. I guess that there's _probably _a reason for that. She told me just before I went out to Central to get the General over there." He smiled and looked at his kids. "I'm excited. I never knew being a father could be this fun."

Riza nodded. "It took me some adjusting, but when I did...I wouldn't give up Ruth for anything."

"That's good, because I doubt she'd want to give you up." Ed whispered.

Ruth's shrill laughter echoed through the air when Roy tickled her. Riza smiled softly at the sight. "Perhaps he's a better daddy than he is a leader."

* * *

_Two continuity errors (I'm borrowing these from the original series, since I don't remember them mentioned in Brotherhood.) Roy's eyes are blue. This is shown in episode 13, inadvertently during the Dog Rant. Also, he snaps with his right hand. But, I'm gonna keep going with the left. ;) There's a reason for that._

**_I've got my direction back, so expect some sense and stuff revealed in the next few chapters. I have a plan for 26 altogether, still unsure if I want to continue through Ruth's growth or not. But let me know in the reviews if you guys want to see Ruth grow up, because right now, I'm only writing a little bit _after _the elections. And for some reason, the thought of Roy with automail is the most sexist thing I've ever done. Just saying._**

_Someone had asked about Breda and Fallman - I find it difficult to write them because I don't remember seeing them a whole lot in the series, but I'll try to work them in later. They're still in Mustang's unit, but he keeps them at home to hold down the office when he's away lol. I also want to go on record to say that this is going to be the longest story I've ever written. My second being 16 chapters. This one is going to have 26._


	15. Forgiveness

**Forgiveness**

_But when your head hits the pillow at the nightfall, you can bet your life that it's gonna be a fight ya'll. Because we all make mistakes sometimes, and we've all stepped across that line; but nothing's sweeter than the day we find forgiveness. And we all stumble and we fall, bridges burned in the heat of it all, but nothing's sweeter than the day we call out for forgiveness. We all need, we all need forgiveness._

* * *

The blonde woman had come to expect a lot of odd things from her husband. She expected him to break out into rants periodically about politics, war, the life of a soldier, dogs, and even Ed's uselessness (and occasionally usefulness). She expected him to always come home late, or in a bitter mood, from the office. She expected him to start telling a story about Maes, then stop half way through and sniffle. She expected him to drink brandy on Saturdays at his mother's bar, gossiping with the girls. She expected him to awaken her in the morning with his tired voice, telling her that the nightmares the night before would go away.

She didn't expect to find him in the nursery at four in the morning with a very hungry Ruth.

He was gently cradling her with his automail arm, his other hand holding the bottle to the child's mouth. While Ruth ate happily, he danced around and hummed to her. Ruth was content with this. Her black eyes stared up at her father brightly. Every so often her hands would flail with excitement, and he'd smile a little wider.

"Fatherhood looks good on you, General Mustang." Riza murmured, folding her arms over her chest. "I always knew you were devilishly handsome before, but now you're downright irresistible. Take me, sir. Take me hard."

Roy chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head when she came to see what was going on. "Shh. I'm telling Ruth a story about my childhood."

Riza stood up a little bit straighter. He'd never spoken of his childhood; not even to her. She sat against the wall, on top of a wooden toy box that Al had made over Christmas for the kids. "Your childhood?"

Roy nodded and removed the empty bottle from Ruth's grasp, placing it on the nightstand. He repositioned Ruth against his shoulder and began to pat firmly. Now that he was sure of what he was doing, he was a lot more excited to help out. Riza finally relinquished the ban on his daughter a few days ago, seeing that he could handle himself just fine with her. He was gentle, always using his right hand to pat her, and his left to hold her. "So, where were we? Ah! Right. I made cookies for my mother one day because she was sick. I didn't know what I was doing, obviously. Mother always loved when I made her things; I think it was because she was my mom and felt obligated to. I tried to make them from scratch, my best friend helping me. It was funny; Maes couldn't bake very well either. I suppose this is what happens when you grow up in a spoiled family. I followed the directions almost perfectly, but when it came time to bake them, I left them in just a tiny bit too long." He smiled softly, knowing that Ruth was ready to be cradled again. This time, he fell softly to his knees and laid her on a blanket on the floor, rubbing her back softly. "When I brought them up to mom, she looked at me like I was crazy. I told her Maes had helped me, and that they were perfectly edible because we had tried them and they seemed fine. She bit into one and started gagging. Apparently we had used too much salt in one of the batches. I felt so bad that I never baked cookies again."

Riza sat with her knees drawn to her chest, her chin resting on top of them while she listened. He'd never told her any of this stuff. It was nice to learn a new side of him. A tiny smile passed her lips before he began to tell another story.

"Did I ever tell you how I met mommy?" Ruth rolled over onto her back and stared up at him, sticking her tongue out. "Ah, you want to hear that story, don't you?" Ruth flailed her arms again, clearly loving the sound of his voice. It didn't matter what he was talking about, she just liked hearing daddy talk. "When I turned thirteen I started working part time at my aunt's bar. She's my dad's sister. Apparently I get my good looks from my mom, but don't tell anyone I said that. She was nice, she let me clean up at night and she'd pay me a little under the table for doing so."

Riza looked up, her eyes wide. He'd never actually told her how he wound up on her doorstep. She just knew he did.

"This man with long blonde hair used to show up every day, drinking away his misery in the back right corner by the fireplace. He seemed to prefer a young brunette waitress named Lindsay…she was my aunt's most talented waitress." He didn't feel like explaining to his infant daughter what _waitress _meant in this sense. "He always talked to Lindsay about his daughter, and how he was never going to be able to forgive himself for what he'd done to her. I never really knew what he was referring to until several years later. I found myself drawn to this man. He spoke of alchemy when he was drunk, and findings, and scribbled on napkins with pens. I was captivated by what he spoke of. One night when I was cleaning, he started to cough, saying something to me. He called me over, and I agreed, quietly standing there as he spoke. He told me he had a beautiful daughter that he regretted not taking care of all her life, and he wished for her to find a nice man to help her. He wanted me to go to his house and meet her, and decide if I could love her. In exchange, he would teach me his alchemy." He gave a quiet glance up at Riza, sensing the anger in her look. He frowned, grabbing a toy to distract himself as he played with Ruth. "I showed up on a dreary day a few weeks later. This shy blonde girl answered the door, gave me an odd look, then ran away giggling. I didn't know what had just happened, and I was really shy myself, so I just stood in the doorway until the man started angrily yelling at us for interrupting his work. I was scared, so at first, I didn't move. I felt a playful shove, and turned to see a short little girl behind me, pushing me towards the steps."

He sighed and leaned back against the wall, bopping Ruth on the nose gently with the stuffed bunny. The child laughed happily, obviously not listening to the story anymore. Now he was just speaking more for his and his wife's sake. "I went upstairs to a rather large, open room, full of drawings and such. The man stood in the middle of what looked like a mess of pages, torn and strewn about from a book. Clearly he wasn't satisfied with something. The man stared at me with a sideways smile, and asked me what I thought." He looked to his wife and frowned. This was the part he wasn't proud of. This was the part that he could never, _ever _bring himself to tell her. "I told him that I couldn't, with all good conscience, decide to love an eleven year old girl without knowing her first. In what seemed like a fair trade, he said he would teach me his secrets anyway, and tutor me. He wouldn't tell me the exact secret; just pass on his wisdom to me. The rest was a test to figure out. I spent years under his watchful eye."

Riza lifted her head again, her eyes full of tears. "You were forced to marry me?"

Roy rapidly shook his head while Ruth chewed happily on her toy, oblivious to the parents' revelation. "No, it wasn't like that at all. When I left at fifteen, what did you think? Did you think I was ever going to come back? He told me to get the hell out of his house and never come back. I wasn't going to, but there was this certain little girl I couldn't get off my mind. Every time I thought about what I did, I could hear her screams of agony from when he'd hit her out of anger. I couldn't let him be like that with you. I went back a week later, but no one came to answer. I heard you screaming. I heard your tears. I didn't know what was happening, but I felt a sense of pain and sorrow wash over me that I couldn't express at the time. It was the most agonizing thing I had ever felt." He looked away. "Word got out that he was ill. I had enlisted at the time into the military, shortly after my parents died of the fever going through the region. Dad never approved of such stupid things. I went to tell your father; because he was the next best thing I had as a father. He shouted at me that he would never let his research become a weapon for the military…he'd rather keep it to himself. As he was dying, he expressed to me that you were the one in possession of his research…at that point, I was angry from losing my parents. I was bitter and hostile. All I wanted was to get the alchemy and go. I swore to your father I would marry you, but I had no intention of doing so. He was satisfied enough to tell me what I had to do next."

Riza's eyes got wide; she stared at him with hollow pupils. "You never did love me, did you?" She questioned. "All of this," She motioned to Ruth and everything surrounding them. "All of _this _was so you could gain my father's research?"

"At that point in time, yes, it was," He looked up sharply when she stood to her feet. "I never meant for it to go the way it did."

Ignoring him, she left the house, allowing the door to slam in her wake. Having been used to people coming and going at all sorts of odd hours, the Elrics didn't even question this. Roy stared down at Ruth with a dark expression. "Mommy is mad at me. Maybe I should have finished the story." He gently lifted his daughter up and placed her on the changing table, routing through the dresser for a jacket. He put it over top of her pajama onesie, and wrapped her softly in a blanket, kissing her head. "Guess we should go find her before she gets hurt."

* * *

Riza drew her knees to her chest and leaned against the tree near the edge of the Rockbell residence. The blonde allowed the brisk wind to tease her hair, run its fingers through and wave softly in the breeze. She didn't want to speak to her husband, bitterness consuming her. He'd only married her as a promise to an abusive father? What kind of relationship did he claim? She closed her eyes and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree.

[Flashback]

"_Father," Riza murmured, standing in the doorway to the room full of notes. He was angrily burning everything in the fireplace, ripping books off the shelves and throwing them into the pyre. He wasn't focused on her, just destroying his research. "Father, what happened?"_

"_Elizabeth, I haven't been a very good person to you." He grumbled, throwing more pages into the blazing inferno. "I need you to do one last thing for me, as a responsible and obedient little girl. Remember how we talked about that? How you wouldn't question my authority anymore? I didn't want to have to hit you in front of him, but you shouldn't have said such nasty things."_

_She didn't mention that she was sixteen now, so there was none of this 'little girl' crap anymore. She stood tall, knowing whatever he asked her to do, she could take it. "Of course, father, what do you wish for me to do?"_

"_Take off your shirt, Elizabeth." He replied, staring at her. "You may cover yourself with a blanket, but I need your back exposed." Fear washed over her. Was he going to whip her for being disobedient again? She didn't move. She didn't want to. Fear paralyzed her in place. Where was Roy? Hadn't he promised to defend her? No, that's right, he'd been angrily tossed out into the rain and left to rot. Berthold had no further use for Roy Mustang. She closed her eyes and dropped to her knees, lifting the back of her shirt. Berthold traced a hand down her back and nodded. "Perfect."_

_Elizabeth mumbled something under her breath, but he didn't listen. Instead, he picked up a knife and began to carve the intricate details into her back. When she screamed in pain, he shoved her into the floor. She tried to wriggle away, eventually even breaking free, but he slammed her against the floor again and tied her hands together at her lower back so she couldn't escape again. He growled and stared at the mess she'd made by trying to run away. The array wasn't messed up, thankfully. He went back to carving while she screamed in pain._

_Her shouts echoed through the house, her tears and sorrow mixing with her emotions and causing an adverse reaction. She wanted to kill him. She didn't know what he was doing, all she knew was he was torturing her. He put out the fire somewhere in the middle of carving on her back. When he was finished, after what seemed like several days, but in reality were only a few hours, he turned to stare at his daughter. "Keep my research safe, Elizabeth."_

_She was so weak at this point from pain and blood loss, she couldn't begin to speak. "F…father…what did I do wrong?"_

_He knelt down in front of her and brushed a hand gently under her chin. "Nothing, daughter. You were obedient, you listened. I'm proud of you." He turned away for a moment, before bringing his hand across her cheek so hard her world trembled. She fell to the floor again, her body a jumbled heap on the wooden floor of the room. He dumped an entire bottle of whiskey against her back, sanitizing the wound. Later, he started to scoop up ashes and rub them over the wound, wrapping her body in cloth. When she woke up again, he'd probably be dead. Either by the military or his own hand._

[End flashback]

"You're thinking about that day, aren't you?" Roy questioned, stopping just before her. He had Ruth lying against his shoulder, her black eyes observing the world around her. This wasn't a story for her anymore. He knelt down in the grass and handed Ruth to his wife, her tears now beginning to fall freely. "I showed up that day. When I heard you screaming, I went in to see what was wrong. I found your father over you, rubbing what looked like ashes into a very deep and intricate design on your back. I didn't know what he was doing, but I knew it wasn't right. I threw him off of you. I asked him what in God's name he was doing, but he explained to me it had nothing to do with God, and that what he was doing was a travesty against human kind."

Riza listened to him speak, cradling her daughter like a teddy bear. "You promised to protect me."

He looked down sadly. He did promise her that, several days after they met and her father backhanded her for dropping a notebook and scattering pages everywhere. Roy's eyes darkened as he snaked his hand behind his wife's head and brought her close, allowing her to cry against his shoulder. Riza didn't cry often. She needed this moment. "I beat him mercilessly. I didn't want him to hurt you any further. When I decided he'd had enough – though frankly, what I did to him _wasn't _enough – I took you into my arms and carried you all the way into Central. Remember that? The time you spent with my aunt? She took care of you so your father couldn't hurt you anymore. Because the blood had already absorbed most of the ashes, and you were in so much agony already, she didn't bother to clean the wound. You were lucky to not suffer from infection, she told me. I didn't know what was going on; I couldn't see much but my own anger for what had happened. If I had just agreed to marry you, this wouldn't have happened. I felt like he was punishing you because I lied to him. I went back to talk to him after he was alone, and I joined the military. I asked the man once again, for his alchemy secrets. You knew what happened then, because I had told you earlier." He closed his eyes, moving his arm down to her lower back while her whole body shook with tears. "I need to tell you something else."

She didn't move to look at him. Her hiccupped words were enough to tell him to continue.

"When I went to Ishval, my entire purpose was unclear. I wanted to serve the military and make the world a better place, but I made it worse. Both of us carried those scars, Riza. I never wanted you to have to go through any of this. I wanted you to live a carefree life, that's why I went into the military; to protect you from harm. I thought if I had that alchemist watch, that I could do a lot more for you than as a regular old foot soldier. I promised myself that if I ever made it out of Ishval, I'd tell you how I felt…but you blew me away when you asked me what you did on the side of the road. How could I honestly, in good conscience, burn the woman I love? How could I cause more damage to her with the same alchemy that started the whole mess?" He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth. "My life was always indebted to you. You gave me so much, and yet, I gave you so little in return. I will never understand why you gave up what you did to protect me, but I'm glad you did. I know I can't say that I was very kind when we were younger, but I knew from the day he asked me, honestly. I knew I was going to marry you. It was just a matter of convincing that hard-pressed girl that it was okay to love."

She trembled with tears again. "You only married me for his secrets."

He pulled away and looked at her, resting both hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm's length so he could see her eyes. "Let me explain something to you, missy. By the time I married you, all of his secrets were destroyed. I didn't even use his full research; I couldn't look at you without feeling guilty for what happened. I should have been there to stop him, or you would have never suffered like that. I loved you from the start, since the day you opened that door and ran away giggling. It was the only time I ever heard you laugh while you were living under his care. And you know what? I'm glad I got to see that side of you for as little as it lasted. I'm glad I could bring you a ray of light in a dark world. I married you because of that little girl who laughed at me."

She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and shook her head. "I don't know why I'm so emotional."

"You're not a soldier anymore, Riza," He whispered, brushing her hair behind her ears. "It's okay to cry now."

"I'm afraid I won't stop crying." She murmured slowly.

He smiled and kissed her head. He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap, putting his hand on the other side of her cheek, and bringing her down against his chest. He closed his eyes and rested his head against hers. "It's okay to keep crying. It's okay to abandon that tough girl role. It's been a decade now, Elizabeth. Let it out. Get some closure."

"I want to see him." She murmured softly.

Startled, Roy stared at her. "You want to visit your father?"

She nodded sadly, her voice cracking softly. "I want closure. Real closure."

Roy nodded and held her again, wrapping his arms possessively around her body. "We'll go tomorrow. Right now…let's just agree to never be mad at each other again."

She nodded and closed her eyes as well. "Agreed."

* * *

There it was, in the far west corner of what seemed like a decrepit and run down cemetery. The name on the tombstone read _Berthold Hawkeye_, but she could barely read the words beyond her tears. Roy's hand rested softly on her shoulder, offering support. Ruth sat in the stroller beside them, confused as to what was going on.

Riza fell to her knees, her hair flying as she did so. She closed her eyes. "I hate you. I have always hated you for what you put me through. I thought that after all these years, I'd never find forgiveness. I even joined the military, just to spite you, because I knew how much you hated it. I wanted you to suffer the rest of your life, but you took the easy way out, didn't you? You were a lunatic, a maniac, an abusive and terrible person. I never wanted to find it in my heart to understand you." She quietly took a trembling breath and continued. "But, in all of this, I can't hate you as much as I want to. Even though you basically arranged my marriage, I guess that's okay. He married me, father. You got your wish. We have a daughter together, and I'm glad she won't ever get to meet you, because I don't want to know what you would do to her. But in all of the chaos, all f the hardships…all of the pain…thank you for choosing the one person in this world that had a heart."

As she began to cry, Roy knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. She reached a hand up to touch his arm softly. "It takes a lot to find forgiveness, Riza. I'm proud of you." He kissed her hair. "Do you want to be alone for a while?"

She nodded and looked up at her husband. "It's funny. I spent so many years denying myself the truth, hiding from him…now here I am in the open, ready to face him and he's not even alive anymore."

Roy smiled slightly and took the stroller by the handle. "I'll be outside waiting for you."

She nodded and stared at the ground. "I went to war, father. We killed people. We killed people using _your _research…" And as she started to tell him her story from the moment he died, she started to gain a sense of peace. There was no more doubt or inner turmoil in her mind. She was ready for whatever came her way, as long as she had that shy boy by her side.

* * *

_I've had this chapter written for a while. I'm just glad to finally put it up. It's not really relevant to the story – just kind of filler. __**Read and review**__. Updates resume again Thursday. Still not sure about continuing this story. Thoughts and suggestions? Message me! Inspired __**heavily **__by the song "Forgiveness" by Tobymac. For an idea of my thought process, or the emotion behind this chapter, look up the song._


	16. Revelations

Roy awoke Riza early in the morning on a really warm March day. He rolled over so he was facing her, lacing his arm over her body and pulling her close. He kissed her neck and waited for her to wake. She stirred softly and turned her head to look up at him. "Good morning, sunshine," He whispered with a smile. "How are you today, beautiful?"

"Sleepy, but clearly you're awake." She turned so she was facing him, scooting her body closer so they were nestled together. "And happy."

He nodded eagerly. "I am happy. I have four more days' extension before I have to go back to Central for the elections. Furor Grumman decided it was best to see to it that my recovery went fully instead of cutting it short like I had planned. He wants to take no risks." Roy kissed her hair. "Winry and Ed took the kids to go into town for a little bit, something about visiting Izumi."

"They took Ruth, too?" Riza's body tensed slightly.

Roy rubbed her back and buried his head in her shoulder. "Ruth will be fine, Ed is a strong man. And Winry…you won't have to worry with Izumi around." Roy commented slowly as he trailed kisses along his wife's collarbone. "Enjoy the silence for a while. You're always rushing to feed her, or change her, or play with her. It seems like you forgot about me in all the chaos."

She frowned and kissed his lips softly. "I didn't forget about you. I just worry about her. Especially since there's someone trying to kill you. What's to say Ruth won't be dragged into your mess?"

He tapped his lip gently. "True. But I won't let her get hurt. I have a plan, you see. Ruth will be alive for a long time, no exceptions."

"And you won't?" Riza countered.

He flicked his metal arm as it gave a soft dinging noise. "At least with weird circumstances like this, I don't see myself living passed the age of thirty."

Riza's eyes lit up. "Today is your thirty-first birthday."

"You couldn't have forgotten like everyone else did?" Roy questioned sadly. He gave a look similar to a wounded puppy. "Man, I don't want to be old. Ruth will be a baby when I hit fifty."

"Twenty, at least, and that's not so bad. My dad was forty-seven when I was seventeen."

Roy frowned again, hiding his face in her hair. "Don't remind me. Being old is scary. My daughter won't even recognize me anymore. Augh! And this automail!"

"Ruth will remember you just as you are because this is what she's growing up with. You're a wonderful dad, and you're an equally amazing husband." She tangled her hands in his hair with a small smirk. "And I'm sure all this is doing nothing for your ego."

"Oh, no, it is." He murmured from against her neck, nibbling softly. "It's doing a lot for my ego."

"Stop that!" She hissed, sharply pulling away. "We can't do that in their house!"

"They do it in their house." Roy commented with a sly smirk. "And Winry knows. That's why she told Ed to take the kids to visit Izumi. I won't beg. Don't make me beg you."

Riza sat up and folded her arms, glaring at him. "No."

Roy frowned and sat up on his elbow. "Why not?"

"Because the last time made me lose my job!" Riza shrieked.

"Are you never going to get over that? I thought you said you loved her? Isn't this the best thing that ever happened to you?" Roy countered, his voice soft. He tugged gently on a strand of her hair knowing it was a weakness of hers. When she shied away, he leaned in closer and tugged her nightshirt down just a little more. He could see exactly what her body was saying. Although her eyes declared a rather loud "no", her body was saying otherwise. He moved forward to trail kisses down her body, stopping to give each special area special attention before reaching her panty line. "Admit it; you wanted this just as much as I did."

She sputtered something about hating him before falling into his charms. "You're a jerk, Roy Mustang."

"And you're beautiful when you're flustered, Riza Mustang." He smirked and slipped his hands lower…

* * *

The Mustangs sat in the kitchen awkwardly, having shared a shower together after their tryst in bed, both staring awkwardly across the kitchen table. Roy didn't look at her for a long time. She blushed a bright red and looked away when he did finally catch her eyes. "I won't tell Winry."

"I wouldn't. It's pretty embarrassing." Riza spoke quietly.

The older, shorter, and far grayer lady stepped into the room and grumbled something about cleaning the sheets. "Young people. Ugh."

"Pinako, I'm really sorry about this." Roy commented, his hands wrapped tightly around a mug of coffee. It wasn't often that Riza saw him flustered, so it was a nice change. "What did you come here for again?"

"I came to see if my granddaughter was still bringing over those blueprints, but apparently she left and you decided to disgrace her home!" Pinako shouted, staring at the two of them as if they were children being punished for stealing. "And you! In the _shower_?" She glared at Riza this time, wondering how the blonde managed to fold herself in that particular way. "Disgraceful!"

"Jealous." Riza grumbled, stealing Roy's coffee so she could taste it. "Disgusting."

"Maybe a little jealous," Roy replied. "Pinako, are you jealous?"

The older lady held up two fingers to indicate her jealousy. "Only a little bit. How do you young kids do it? I could never pull off half the things you do."

"You won't tell Winry?" Riza questioned, pushing her hair back as she sipped on her tea. "Because it would be awfully embarrassing to explain."

"Explain what?" Winry inquired, stepping through the door with the baby carrier in her arms. She stared between Roy and Riza and wondered what was going on that she'd missed. "Is this about my vase again? I'll be honest, I never really liked it, and I think Maes broke it first."

"I caught them having sex in your shower!" Pinako screamed.

Riza blushed a bright red, as well as Winry, before turning away to see the children were a safe distance away. Ed looked mildly angry as he held onto Maes and Nina. Nina looked up curiously. "What's _sex_?"

"Grandma!" Winry screamed in disbelief. "They're grown adults; they can do what they want! Now I have to explain to Maes and Nina something I wasn't particularly ready to explain! If they want to use our shower for less-than-favorable things, who am I to complain? I'm not even going to count how many times Ed and I have done it in there! And I'll be honest, the shower is probably the best place for it, because everyone winds up clean in the end anyway and I'll tell you—"

"Winry!"

"—yes, Edward?" She turned slowly to her husband, now blushing a fierce shade of red, anger still written all over his face.

"Please stop."

She paused and looked at all the parties involved and stared down at her twins, wondering why in heaven's name she even brought it up in the first place. Pinako shuffled from the room, not wanting to be a part of this anymore. While Ed explained to Maes and Nina what _sex _was, Winry set the baby carrier on the table and looked between Roy and Riza. Neither of them looked at her.

"I'm sorry," Riza ventured.

Winry looked like she could kill them both before a soft laugh escaped her lips. "I don't care. Honestly, it doesn't bother me. Just be cautious about it, that's all. You're grown adults, you do what you want. I trust you washed the sheets?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, they're clean and folded, and I think it might be best if we leave tonight. Pinako doesn't seem very happy with us right now."

"That bitter old dog is jealous," Ed grumbled walking passed them to grab a container of juice from the fridge for the kids. "Don't mind her. Winry and I have been known to do some pretty odd stuff before, so don't be ashamed of the shower. Really. It's no big deal."

"You're being really grown up about this, Fullmetal." Roy groaned. "Why are you more grown up about it than an 80 year old woman?"

Ed laughed. "Because in her generation it wasn't socially acceptable to have sex. Now it is." He looked between them. "You're sure you want to leave?"

Roy nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I have to get back to Central in the next four days, and it's a three day trip."

Ed nodded. "We'll see you off to the station. Are you leaving tonight?"

Riza nodded. "Yes, we're ready to go now, actually. We were waiting for you to come home before we left. It would be rude, after all."

"I made arrangements for full service detail, so no one will be at risk." Roy stood and bowed, smiling softly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Elric. I'll definitely be taking you up on your offer again sometime next year. I know Elizabeth would rather like to be in the country anyway."

"The city air is stuffy, and it's no place to raise a baby," Riza countered, while Ed went to grab their bags from the room. She took the bassinet into her arms and looked at Roy again. "Stuffy, stuffy, city air. Ugh. Gross."

Winry laughed and followed Riza outside, letting the two men gossip for a while. She stared at Riza for a long time in silence. "When are you going to tell him?"

"After the elections," Riza commented. She was very quiet about her words. She didn't want Roy to know, the news could be devastating to him. The only reason Winry knew was because Riza needed a female to talk to, and Rebecca wasn't present. "The news can either make or break the election; I want to wait until after."

"We'll be listening to the broadcast. I hope he wins." Winry smiled softly.

Riza nodded and looked at her daughter. "He has to win, there's no way he can lose. Honestly, the man is way too damn smart for his own good."

"Agreed." Winry turned quickly when she heard the door opening. "We weren't talking about you," The blonde laughed.

"Oh, it's fine. Was she telling you how amazing I am in bed?" Roy questioned.

The elder blonde blushed slightly.

Winry smirked and looked to Ed. "They could start a fire; no ignition gloves and matches necessary."

"Why can't we be that passionate?" Ed questioned, following his wife. "It's not fair that the older people get all the good stuff."

"I've been around the block a few times; and I know what my wife likes. _And _you have Maes and Nina, whom are where?"

Winry smiled. "I told them to stay with Pinako while I deal with everything. I figured since she embarrassed you and ruined the illusion of innocence; I'll let her explain to my children what sex is. It should be interesting."

* * *

The train ride home was long and uncomfortable, and Ruth wailed almost the entire time, but Roy was still happy as ever as they stepped off the train three days later. He'd spent most of the trip holed up in his private car with Riza, Ruth off somewhere with Harvard, the couple sharing some intimate moments, including just talking about the future. He held out a hand for Riza so she could step down onto the platform, taking a deep breath of sooty city air. "Admit it. You missed this place."

"Maybe just a little," Riza replied, holding Ruth in her arms. They'd be taking a car to Central Headquarters since Roy had to be ready for the elections that same day. Literally two hours after arriving, actually. She climbed into the car and set Ruth between them, grateful for the driver. "Roy, are you sure you're ready for this?"

He looked down, eyes a little downcast. "Maybe not, but I have you by my side. And this _has _been our dream since the beginning, so I guess I have to be ready for it. Hell, I wasn't ready to be a parent, and here I am with a beautiful little girl and a wonderful wife."

Headquarters was active with reporters of all kinds, wanting to snap pictures of the candidates, several asking questions as the stepped out of the car. Riza had ditched the carrier and brought Ruth to her chest, holding her slightly tighter than usual. Roy kept a grip on her other hand, pulling her along through the crowd into the building. Even as they made their way to his office, a few stragglers followed. He shooed them away and closed the door. "Help me get into my uniform."

Riza looked up at him curiously. "What?"

"My arm. I can't feel it. Help me get into my uniform." He pleaded. "I need to see this through, now isn't the time to fall."

She nodded quickly and lay Ruth in the bassinet he always had sitting by his desk, running to the closet to gather his uniform pieces. As she helped him dress, she noticed the sadness in his eyes. "Roy, what's wrong?"

"My automail stopped working." He looked to his wife with a quiet gaze. "I wonder if I overdid it."

"Please! Edward has blown his to shreds and it still works! I think you may have done something stupid, but I don't think you _overdid it_." She fixed his hair and smiled. "Get ready for the elections. You're going to be alright. I'll call Winry in the meantime."

"Thank you, Elizabeth."

She nodded and sat by the radio, calling Winry. She'd explain the automail problem to her, and listen to the broadcast at the same time.

* * *

Roy stood on the podium with Olivier, watching as the crowd poured in. He knew Riza wasn't among them, but part of him wished she was for reassurance. Riza had gone home at least an hour before this whole event would start, probably the only woman not present to see the outcome of the election. He frowned, only for a moment. His mind suddenly started thinking about her whispered words, and a small smile formed on his lips. She was excited for this. He could be, too. He waited for Grumman to speak before looking to Olivier for a long moment.

They had been briefed months in advance what to expect. Olivier continued to campaign while he was healing, even stopping in to see him every so often. But the competition was fierce, and he couldn't let his guard down with her. Instead, he eyed her carefully and waited for Grumman to commence the ceremony.

"As you may well be aware of, these last few months have been very turbulent on our candidates. They've gone through quite a bit to prove that both are prepared to run a country. We put you, the public, to the test by allowing the opportunity to vote for your new leader. I will admit that it was a rather difficult task to count each and every one of the ballots, but the results were nearly identical. In fact, we nearly had a tie!" Grumman shouted with excitement. Roy began to wring his hands again. "Both campaigns were very well thought out and well received, but none quite as much as General Mustang's. On general popularity with the public, the victor _would _be General Armstrong. However, through a unanimous decision, our victor today is General Mustang, with a total of five million and sixty two votes."

Olivier turned to Mustang and gave him a glare that could melt skin and then smiled softly offering her hand. "It was a great time. You're a very formidable adversary, Furor Mustang. I couldn't think of a better opponent."

Roy shook her hand before turning to Grumman. There was a whole huge ceremony that needed to be done, including the passing of the saber. He wouldn't be home tonight with all the ceremonies going on, which upset him greatly because he wanted to share the news with his wife and daughter. His quiet gaze landed on the crowd and he skimmed for his wife again. All he saw was his team, and a few of Armstrong's team. He looked back to Grumman. "You set this up," He whispered softly so the crowd couldn't hear. "You wanted me to win all along."

Grumman shook his head and whispered back. "No. On the contrary; the last vote counted was your foster mother's."

Roy looked out into the crowd and saw her standing near the back, still dressed in her gorgeous attire, her hair slicked back in a ponytail. Although gray touched her roots, she still looked fairly young. Roy couldn't help but smile at her. So she wanted him to win all along. At least someone was rooting for him.

* * *

She sat in the office, her hair falling over her shoulders, shielding her eyes from view. Roy was pacing in front of his desk, knowing he'd have to eventually pack up and move to Grumman's office. Until they resituated everything, though, he was to stay at his former office. He stared at his wife, eyes dark. "You're not happy? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"No! I'm happy! I'm excited!" She raised her head and forced a smile.

He sighed. "I know your smile. You're upset. What's wrong?"

She didn't speak. A defeated whimper escaped her lips. He moved to kneel in front of her, brushing her hair back. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

A moment of silence passed between them before she turned and threw up into the trash can. He stared up at her in shock, his voice lowered. Something about this was vaguely familiar. "You're…"

She nodded. "Yes. I'd assume it was while we were in Ishval, before you got shot."

His smile widened. "So I get to be a daddy _again_? Is that even possible?"

She looked down at her hands, twirling her wedding band. "I asked around about it, they said it's possible to become pregnant again up to thirty days after having a baby. Our kids will be exactly nine months apart. How scary is that?"

Roy stood and ran a hand through his hair. "This one is being born in a hospital!"

She nodded. "I won't argue with that."

He fell to his knees in front of her and smiled, kissing her cheek. "I love you, Elizabeth. You've made me the happiest man in the entire world. You know that, right?"

She nodded and looked up at him. He gently placed his hand on her stomach. "It's going to be another girl, I can feel it."

"You're crazy!" She shouted happily as she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. "Ruth will have a playmate, how awesome is that?"

"Oh God," Roy grumbled.

"What?"

"I'm furor. _And _a dad. Oh man, this is harder than I thought."

Riza kissed his lips softly and moved her arms. "It's okay, I'm here. I don't intend on going anywhere."

"Good. I don't want to lose you."

"We need to get your arm looked at. You're kind of useless without it." Riza murmured, smiling at him. "And you have paperwork to finish, especially regarding your investigation."

Roy groaned. "Don't remind me. When will Winry be here?"

"Three days," She answered quickly. "I can't wait to tell her my news!"

"Oh please, she already knew."

"So what!"

* * *

_Oh. My. God. This was AWFUL. I mean, it was seriously just AWFUL. I read it and re-read it and just…ugh. I hate it. I'll probably re-write it later, but right now, I'm going to bite the bullet and post it, because I've gone far too long without updating. Hopefully I can get some updates done again later in the week._

_I apologize in advance for this piece of crap chapter._


	17. Gone

**Gone**

_She says she's all through. And life's not blowing her kisses thanks to you._

Winry arrived at the apartment early in the day. She'd be spending the night there and going back to Resimbool sometime in the morning the next day. Her gear was scattered along a table in the bedroom. She quietly looked at Roy, lying in the bed, shirtless, scars and battle wounds present to the world, and wondered if he was okay with this. Her soft blue eyes watched him twitch his other hand impatiently. Ruth was crying, and he couldn't help her. It was really hurting him to know that. Riza was at the market for the next few hours since Winry insisted it wouldn't be painful surgery.

Winry looked at him again, her eyes clouding slightly. "Ruth is just having separation anxiety because mommy left. She'll be okay. Let her cry herself to sleep."

"You're a masochist, aren't you, Winry?" Roy questioned the blonde, wincing when she tightened a bolt probably a little too tight. "Sorry. I just…I don't understand how anyone can let their baby cry."

"You're a good daddy," She murmured, kicking the door shut behind her. She looked back at him and started going through her wrenches, opening up the casing on the outside of the arm. "Ruth is going to be a great child. Though I sense sometimes that Riza isn't quite ready for full mommy-hood. Having another baby so soon is going to be very stressful on her, not to mention you being furor."

"We talked about that last night." Roy commented slowly, watching her taking apart the automail. The gears and winds fascinated him. "She was going to go stay with you the duration of her pregnancy because of you being pregnant as well. She…she would take Ruth with her, because I obviously can't take care of her by myself if I'm working."

Winry didn't look up to see him. She just began to methodically take apart his arm. "And you're okay with that?"

He looked away with sadness lacing his voice. "No, but…this is what she wants. I know she didn't want this baby, so it's only fair to let her have what she wants."

"You're the man of the house, the one in position of authority, you can still tell her no." Winry commented quietly, brushing her hair behind her ears. "We have a mutual understanding in our house; no one under mind's Ed's word. If he says no, it's a flat out no. There is none of this 'go ask mommy', it's just a no. If he tells me I'm not allowed to go to Rush Valley to help out, then I don't go. He has his reasoning, and I respect that. He isn't controlling or obsessive about what I do, so I don't mind him saying no once in a while."

"Yes, but Riza has taken care of herself for so long, she doesn't need me to be overprotective of her. I'm sure whatever she does, she'll be fine, but I don't know if I trust myself to make those kinds of decisions. Especially since I know she won't follow them. She's stubborn like I am. It took _you _telling her I'll be fine for her to leave."

The blonde stopped and looked at the elder man, setting her wrench down. "Do you even realize what you're saying? If there's no mutual respect between the two of you, then you're just coping in a relationship because she feels it's the right thing to do. She's probably feeling trapped in here all the time with Ruth. She didn't have time to come to terms with being a mother. You didn't let her. It was sudden, and you decided she'd keep the baby like it or not. She didn't have nine months to get to come to the understanding you were at. She was just…there. She gave up the one thing she ever knew how to do in order to keep this baby for you. That's how much she loves _you_."

"You're saying she doesn't love Ruth." Roy mumbled his breath catching. "She didn't want a baby after all?"

Winry stopped, staring at him with dark blue eyes. He challenged her back with his dark black ones. "She loves Ruth with all of her being. I can see it when she picks her daughter up. That woman is completely devoted to that child. But that's the problem. Both of you love Ruth, but neither of you love each other. Take Ruth off her hands for a while, let her experience freedom again. She'll come back if she loves you both."

Roy nodded rather sadly and stared at the ceiling, holding his wedding ring in his right hand. Maybe Winry had a point. Maybe she just needed time alone.

Winry blinked and looked down at his arm's mechanics and pulled up a toy of some sort. "Ah. That's the culprit." She peeked at Roy and smirked. "Apparently a cat toy managed to jam one of the gears. I don't know how it got in there. It probably happened when I was repairing it the first time and fell asleep at the surgical table. This one's on me. Don't tarnish my reputation."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Roy quietly answered, closing his eyes. She was right, it was virtually painless to do the surgery, but it still hurt when she put the pieces back together. He winced each time she tightened a bolt, and nearly cried out in pain when she slammed the case shut. He looked up at her for reassurance that he could use his arm again. The first thing he did was put his wedding band back on. Then he squeezed his hand into a fist and sat up. "Thank you, Winry. How much do I owe you?"

"Just a train ride back to Resimbool. If you think Riza should stay with me, send her tomorrow morning." Winry quietly answered to the unspoken question. "Maybe being away from you will be good for her."

"It certainly gets her out of the public eye so I don't have to worry about security detail." Roy was trying to be optimistic, but it wasn't working very well. He would be moving into his new office today, taking oaths, and doing other _leader-of-the-country_ things, but right now, he didn't care. He looked to Winry with a nod, and then darted from the room to the nursery, where Ruth was still wailing.

* * *

"I'm home!" Riza called three hours later when she came through the door. She pushed the door shut with one hand, and surveyed the house with the other. It was very quiet. Winry probably had gone to command to see some old friends, assuming Roy went with and took Ruth. She peeked into the bedroom first, but no one was there. Setting the groceries down on the table, she came through to the nursery and stood outside the closed door, hearing Roy softly reading a story to Ruth.

She didn't bother to tap on the door to let him know she was coming in. When she opened the door, he was sitting in the rocking chair, hunched over the infant in his lap, reading a story about a purple dog and the moon. A small smile crossed her lips.

"And the moon asked the dog how he learned to jump so high." He turned the page. "The dog said, 'I don't know, but I can see everything from up here'. The moon said, 'Doesn't it hurt your little paws?' The puppy nodded and replied, 'yes, so I only do it once a night.' The moon considered this for a while, smiling with laughter. 'Don't be such a silly puppy, I'll tell you what the world looks like every night. You won't have to hurt your paws anymore.' Overjoyed, the puppy laughed. 'Why thank you, moon! I hope we can be wonderful friends!'." His voice was soft, almost a whisper. He'd stop to show her the pages every so often, pointing to the bright and colorful pictures. "That's the moon, do you see it? It's not out yet, but I'll show it to you one day."

Riza absently noticed the huge mess on the floor, where he'd probably been playing with her. It seemed like he brought out every toy from the toy box Al made, and showed it to their daughter. When he finished the story and noticed the baby was asleep, he gently started to rock in the rocking chair, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "She sure is something, isn't she?" Riza inquired softly.

"She wouldn't sleep, and she just kept crying, so I thought I'd read to her. She likes books as much as her mommy, apparently, because she picked out four for me to read. I read all of them to her until she fell asleep." He whispered quietly, looking to the baby in his lap. "God, she's beautiful."

Riza closed the distance between them and knelt down by the rocking chair, staring at her husband and daughter. He was still shirtless; it was the first time she'd seen him this way in a long time. There was a long pink scar on his shoulder where the skin had grafted to the metal, and another the size of his lower abdomen where he'd been stabbed by Lust many years ago. She knew they were a sore topic for him – unless he was bragging with the boys, in which case Havoc won every time – so she didn't ask about it. Instead of ruining the moment by talking, the blonde laid her head against his leg and smiled.

He lifted Ruth gently into his arms, always making sure that her head was against his real arm, and placed her gently into the crib. Bringing the blanket over her tiny body, he leaned over and brushed her hair back, giving her a kiss. "Goodnight, princess." He turned to his wife and gave her an odd look. "I'll clean the floor when she wakes up."

"Alright," Riza complied, stepping out of the nursery behind him. He never closed the door. It was something he'd grown used to. He'd go in and spend time talking to Ruth about his fears whenever he had nightmares. It was probably easier for him because she couldn't talk back. Instead, he gently closed the door only enough that he could still see a crevice of light from her nightlight. Grabbing Riza's arm, he pulled her towards the couch and sat her down. "What's wrong, Roy?"

"Winry left so we could talk. I want to know how you feel about being a parent. Don't tell me what I want to hear, tell me exactly how you feel." He sat beside her, his arms resting across his chest.

"I feel conflicted."

Roy frowned. "I thought you'd say that. Why?"

"Because of what my father did. Because of losing my mother early. Because of what we did at war. How can you look at her and not see the faces of the children we killed, Roy? How can you have such tender moments like that, and not once consider the awful things we did as soldiers?" She raised her voice slightly, startling him.

He looked away. "I can't. I always see those children we killed. Nothing I do can ever erase those memories, or wash away the blood on my hands. My dream is to teach Ruth to be tolerant of other people. I want her to be loving and accepting of everyone, even people she doesn't understand. I know it's a long shot, but since I'm the leader of the free world now, maybe I should start with my daughter. We can't erase our sins, Riza. Just know they're forgiven."

"I know, I understand that, Roy. But that's my problem. I can't look at her without seeing that child I killed. I took away life from an innocent child."

"And you were going to do it again. Does that make it fair?" Roy questioned, not intentionally trying to hurt her. "Just because you killed one, doesn't mean another doesn't deserve the chance to live. Maybe it's greedy of me, but Ruth is my life. You're my life. She's my life." He gently laid his palm flat over her stomach. "Protecting this country and our way of life…that's my life. Riza, you may not see it this way, but I lost both my parents at the same time. I know what it's like to be wandering the streets, wondering if anything will get better until someone takes you in out of mercy or pity. I know that feeling. I don't want to be that parent. I want to be there as long as I am physically able."

Riza's eyes darkened. "I am a soldier first and foremost."

"You're still a soldier," He smiled softly. "You're my most precious subordinate; my queen. Even better still, you're my daughter's mother. And that makes you a thousand times more awesome. But you'll never stop being a soldier. That's your confliction. Elizabeth. I am the man of the house. It's my job to protect _you_. I'm going to put you in command of protecting Ruth." A quiet stillness took over the house and he looked down sadly, his heart breaking. "Do you want this baby, Riza?"

"I don't know." She quietly whispered. "I honestly don't know. Ruth is only four months old; I won't be able to handle two babies at the same time. I can barely handle one."

Roy nodded. "Winry told me that it's only fair to let you do what you want. If you don't want her, it's fine with me. But please…don't tell me if you kill her."

With quiet understanding, Riza gave a shy nod. "Understood."

Roy looked down again with sadness in his eyes. "Take good care of Ruth while you're gone. I won't stop you from leaving. She's in good hands with you. Promise me that if anything happens, you'll call me?"

She nodded and laid her head against his shoulder. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Six in the morning came faster than he cared to admit. He was standing with his wife and daughter, bundled up tightly from the brisk spring wind, preparing to say goodbye to them. It wasn't a permanent goodbye, but still a goodbye none the less. Ed had come to meet them and take them home, the kids staying with Al and May while they visited. Roy refused to let on that he was upset. He had things he had to do at the office, he wouldn't be upset. He'd miss all of his daughter's first steps, first words…but this was what his wife wanted. This was what he wanted. He looked up as Ed and Winry moved to the side to talk about the kids.

Riza gently handed Ruth over to him, allowing him to hold her for a little bit while the train was still boarding. "She'll be in good hands; I swear I won't let her get hurt."

Roy nodded and kissed his daughter's head, pulling his wife close so he could hold her as well. They touched foreheads, Ruth cooing softly between them. "Call me every night so I can tell her I love her."

Riza nodded and kissed his lips softly. "I will."

The final boarding call was announced, and suddenly Roy felt like he would die. He handed Ruth over to Riza and stood his hands in his pockets, swearing he wouldn't cry. "I love you, Elizabeth." He got deathly quiet for a moment, then coughed and picked up his voice. "I love you, as well, Ruth."

He turned away as the whistle blew. He didn't hear Ruth's first word.

As he was getting into the car, he looked back to see the train leaving the station. He calmly told the driver to go, then started to feel a sense of sadness overwhelm him. He wouldn't cry. Instead, he went to the one place he knew he'd always find the right words. They stopped outside the new location of his foster-mother's bar, and he didn't move for a while. He wasn't sure about any of his actions right now. He climbed out of the car and wiped a hand across his face to hide the fact that he was upset.

When he entered the bar, Christine stared at him from the corner, her gaze catching Roy's. She knew immediately that something was wrong, even as he came to the bar and sat down, ordering a brandy. AS she sifted the amber liquid into a glass for him, she studied his appearance. "She left you, didn't she?"

"No…not quite. But she did take the baby." He looked at her with dark eyes. "What do I do?"

"Go after her."

"She needs her space, mom. I don't know what to say. I can't stop her from leaving." He looked down at his horrid reflection in the glass of liquid, suddenly feeling very small. "She wanted to go. I didn't ask her to."

"That woman devoted her life to you, and you're going to let her go just like that?" The elder woman murmured voice gruff. "I would have expected more of you. I raised you better."

"She's in better hands with Winry," He whispered. "Winry will be there when she has the baby, and I know Ed has delivered a baby before."

"Baby? There's another?" She asked, downing a shot of vodka. "You really are a skirt chaser, aren't you?"

"It wasn't on purpose." He grumbled faceplanting into the desk. "She's pregnant and I let her go with our four month old baby. What the hell is wrong with me? I should know better."

"_That's _the boy I raised." She ruffled his hair. "Go after her, Roy. Bring your wife home."

"I would, but…I promised her I wouldn't get involved. I won't. She needs her space, mom. She'll come back when she's ready."

* * *

_Just a quick update before I go to work. =) I'm pleased with this chapter._


	18. All This Time

**All This Time**

_All this time you from the first tear cried, to the first sunrise, and every single moment between. You were there, you were always there, it was you and I; you've been walking with me all this time._

Grumman coughed and leaned in the doorway, watching Roy as he did his paperwork. The graying gentleman curiously eyed Mustang, listening as the younger man toiled away at his papers in order to finish them on time. "You have to go home eventually, you know."

"She won't be there," Roy commented quietly, never once taking his eyes off the paperwork before him. He continued to sign, stamp, and place them in a folder to the side. He couldn't bring himself to look at Grumman. "She's afraid of commitment."

"Within good reason, you've met her father." Grumman came in the office and closed the door behind him, sitting in the chair across from the desk, his voice low. "It wasn't an accident that she wound up under your command, Roy."

Grumman, other than other close personal friends, was the only other person who got away with calling him by his first name. Everyone else referred to him by his title, as a position of power. Though he rarely let on to how he had pulled strings to get Riza into his command, Roy always knew that it wasn't an accident. Grumman was well aware of the promise a foolish boy made to his dying teacher, and that promise was the only thing that kept him sane most days. It wasn't his intention to come to love her. Roy stopped writing and ran his hands over his face, shaking his head. "I should have gone after her."

"How long has it been since she left? Three months? Six?" Grumman prodded, picking up chest pieces and moving them about. He'd left the board as a present to the younger man, a reminder of the things they had done. "Ah, I'm sure you know the exact amount of days. You love her, after all."

"Three? Four months?" Roy commented, trying to do the math quickly. "She's almost due; sometime in the next few months, actually. She was three months when she left."

"You're not worried about her at all?" Grumman questioned his voice terribly low. "I would be concerned. Has she called you this entire time she's been gone?"

"Only long enough to say goodnight to Ruth. She doesn't say anything to me." Roy whispered sadly. "Oh God, she doesn't love me."

"One would certainly think that, wouldn't they?" Grumman crossed his legs and leaned back, holding the queen in his hand. "Now why would someone so devoted just give up on a whim like that?"

"Because I smother her." Roy quietly replied, watching the older gentleman from across the room. "And she feels like she needs to protect me."

"Wrong." Grumman smirked and set the piece back onto the board. "She's doing whatever is necessary to protect her children. I may not have spent a lot of time around my granddaughter growing up, but I know how she thinks. She gets it from her mother. Elizabeth views you as a risk, and the children as a liability. This isn't intentional, of course, but mainly because your assassination attempt. A killer is still on the loose, as I'm sure you're well aware, and she fears that the children will be caught in the crossfire. Why do you suppose she has limited contact? If you only talk to Ruth, the killer doesn't know that she's your child."

"You gathered all this from a five minute conversation?" Roy grumbled and went back to the paperwork.

Grumman sighed. "You're a tactician, Roy. Do you not know when to question somebody's motives? That woman is devoted to you, why would she suddenly so disinterest? She's got something going on in the background she doesn't want you aware of."

"Or," Roy sighed, his voice slightly deeper. "She just got tired of waiting for me to be around as both a husband and father, and decided enough is enough. Either theory could work, really."

"Enough about your love life, let's play a game of chess." Grumman stared at the board, already having moved a piece. Roy came over and sat across from the older man, knowing that his younger counterpart always thought well when he was pre-occupied. "Have you found out anything about the attempted killing?" Grumman inquired, serious tone lacing his voice.

"Only that he belonged to the same group as Harvard. He's looking into it now." Roy moved a piece and stared at Grumman. "He was one of ours. I would have suspected Harvard if he wasn't with Riza when I was shot." He looked away for a moment, absently flexing his automail hand. It shouldn't be this way, but they had come to the conclusion long ago that they'd make unspeakable sacrifices to get where they were.

Grumman nodded and looked up. "And how do we know for a fact he's one of Harvard's former comrades?"

"Harvard admitted that the sole intention of the group he belongs to is to see me fall. He joined the military with the intention of taking me out from the inside, but couldn't bring himself to do it, and ended up protecting Riza instead. To say he won't still, I don't know. But I trust that boy…he kept Ruth alive when it would have been just as easy to kill her. She's saying words now." Roy quietly whispered waiting for Grumman to make a move. "The point is, Harvard explained that these assassins were coming from within the group. Ling apparently decided to send Harvard as a peace offering, as well as a wedding gift for protecting Ran Fan during the battle with Father. Ling assured me he didn't know of Harvard's past, only that he was an exceptional marksman."

"Your trust is far more admirable than your strength, Roy Mustang. Still, what assures you that this man is of a radical group like you believe?" Grumman questioned moving a pawn.

Roy sighed and looked away. "I don't know. But it's been quiet lately, which concerns me. Either they're planning to do something to me, or they're going to do something to Elizabeth. She's unprotected. No guns around the children."

"That woman will always subscribe to the Thirty Foot Rule, the locations just change." Grumman replied casually. "Do we have any distinguishing features on the man?"

Roy shook his head and used his rook to knock a piece off the board. "I caught a brief glimpse of them before I was shot. I always make sure to skim the crowd when I'm talking. He wore a cloak over his head, like Riza often does when shooting. But he looked like he had heterochromia."

"That's a rare trait among these parts, I'm sure someone would notice. Did you see the colors?" Grumman murmured, moving another piece, methodically staring at the board.

"Blue and red." Roy quietly replied. "I think they hide it with Alchemy, much like Ed can change his appearance through Alchemy. It's the only logical conclusion I've come to; how else would he have hidden in the ranks all this time? To think it could be one of my own men…the thought is terrifying."

"There are a lot of men who would like to see you leave office, Roy. The problem is that I would never suspect you to be one to give up so easily. And with a loving wife and beautiful understanding daughter, I can't see any reason why you would. Perhaps, because they don't see you as a family like I do, they don't see the sense of sadness you get when away from your wife. You may have been a killer, but you're a human much like everyone else. You still feel with your heart, you still bleed blood. Keep your chin up and take it in stride. We'll be on the lookout for a man with two different colored eyes."

Roy looked up as Grumman stood to leave. "But our game isn't over."

Grumman smiled and walked away. "I know."

"What an odd man."

* * *

There was a tiny sliver of silver moonlight that illuminated the bedroom. Roy couldn't sleep. Her scent was gone. Ruth was gone. All of his comforts were gone. He'd taken them for granted far too long, and maybe that was the price he had to pay now. He turned onto his side and stared out the window, reaching a hand out towards the moon. Maybe, somewhere in this world, his wife was doing the same. A sense of sadness washed over him and he felt like something was wrong. She didn't call him that night to say goodnight to Ruth, that's why he couldn't sleep. He mentally chastised himself for not noticing it sooner.

Padding out to the living room, he sat on the couch and stared at the phone. It was three am, Ruth wouldn't still be awake, and he felt rude calling to wake Winry at this hour. Instead, he fell asleep waiting. The phone rang at six. He reached across to grab it. "Winry?"

"Riza had the baby." Winry began slowly, her breathing cutting in certain points, as if she'd just run a marathon. "She delivered two months premature."

"Is…is she okay?" Roy questioned slowly. He was trying to make sense of it all. "Winry, please tell me she's okay."

"_She's _fine. But you should come here right away."

* * *

He arrived in Resimbool two days later, opting to drive this time instead of take the train. With the quick goodbye and the curt response, he wasn't sure what to expect upon entering the house. Somewhere in the background, he could hear Ed coaching his son in something, and the faint, soft singing of Nina in the nursery with Ruth. He caught a slight glimpse of Riza sitting in the hospital bed and fear struck his heart. She wasn't okay. He raised a hand to tap on the door, but Winry met him before he could.

"She's been so stressed, worrying about you and your work. It didn't help, of course, that a strange man keeps bothering her in town. She's been worried all this time, wondering if everything is okay because you never talk to her. She's sent letters, but they never get to you." Winry paused and stopped, her voice lowering to a whisper as she placed both hands on Roy's shoulders. "Roy, I know this is going to hurt you because you told me to take care of her. I did my best, but there's only so much I can do when the baby is two months premature. The eighth month is when they develop their lungs."

Roy knew something bad was going to hit him.

"Your son was stillborn."

And as those four terrifying words left the blonde's mouth, he almost felt envious of her. She still hadn't had her baby. She still had so much to look forward to. He'd lost his child, and regardless of still having Ruth, the reality of his wife carrying full term, delivering, and losing the baby without him being there…it hit him harder than the bullet had. His eyes filled with tears. He wouldn't cry. He had to be strong for his wife. Wiping his hand over his face, he slowly started down the hall to the bedroom he knew so well.

Instead of tapping on the door, he just went inside. His wife sat in the bed, staring out the window. There was a small bundle in her arms, but it wasn't moving. Her left hand was idly stroking the full head of black hair. He quietly closed the distance between them and knelt beside the bed, stopping her hand from moving. "He's beautiful."

She didn't look at him.

"He was born with his eyes open," Riza whispered. "Winry closed them because he reminded me so much of you and I couldn't take it."

"You chose to leave," Roy commented slowly.

She looked at him, eyes fierce, glazed over from the impending tears that she just didn't have the willpower to cry. "You let me go."

Winry stepped between them and looked to Riza, her eyes soft. "Elizabeth, please don't blame him. He did it to protect you while he looks for the person who shot him. He talks to me every night after you hang up." She looked to Roy. "There was nothing that could have been done for your son, and I'm terribly sorry I failed you as a doctor, but I tried."

"I'm not blaming you, Winry." He looked to Riza, his hand gently reaching out to brush her hair back. "I'm not blaming you either, and I'm sorry if it came off that way. You knew him better than I did, and it hit you harder than it would have hit me. But I realized when I got that phone call that I never want to be away from you again. I never want to have to wonder where you are, whose with you, what's wrong…I don't want that anymore. Please come home."

"Ruth…"

"She'll be fine, I won't let her get hurt," Roy whispered, tangling a hand in his wife's hair. "Please. Just come home. I need you there. I can't sleep without you. Hell, I can't even do my job properly without you." Idly he reached a hand out to stroke his son's cheek. "Elizabeth, this wasn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself."

"I could have—"

"No!" Roy wrapped his arms around her and forcibly hugged her. He buried his head in her hair. "I refuse to let you beat yourself up over this. There was nothing you could have done differently, and there was nothing Winry could have done. It's nobody's fault. I should have been here for you. I should have been the one with you when you found out. What kind of awful husband am I? You're not a trophy wife. You're my wonderful protective wife. You're the mother of my daughter. You're the woman I've admired for almost a decade now. You're the only woman to ever stay by my side, and continue to show up after a one night stand." He smirked slightly. "You're the only girl in this entire world, other than Ruth, that I could never be without."

Riza sniffled and wrapped her arm around his neck. "He's really gone."

"I know."

"But he was so tiny," Riza whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "He was such a fighter. He just…wasn't strong enough to wait to meet daddy."

Roy kissed his wife's hair and gently touched a hand to his son's cheek. "I know you feel terrible about this, Riza, but there's a reason he didn't make it. Right now, don't dwell on it. We've got Ruth, isn't that enough?"

"I…wanted to give you a son," Riza whispered sadly.

Roy looked at his wife, curiosity dancing in his black eyes. "Why, Riza? I don't need a son. I have you. I have Ruth. I have a wonderful family without the added pressure. I would have loved a son either way, but I don't need one to be happy. I'm happy with you. I'm happy with my family." He kissed her nose and smiled. "I'm still sorry."

"No," She looked down at the infant in her arms. "You're right. There's no need to be upset about this. I feel awful, but…maybe that's just fate's way of punishing us for our past sins."

He looked to Winry as the younger woman gently took the infant away. "I'll go have Al make a box for him."

As Winry left the room, Roy couldn't help but frown again. "You should have been taking it easy. That was the whole point of you coming here. Why did you worry about me? I was fine the whole time."

"I could hear it in your voice when you talked to Ruth," She whispered. "When you said goodnight to her, your voice would crack. You never do that. Not even when you're upset with me."

"Perhaps," He began slowly. "It's just because I miss my wife and daughter. Come home, Riza. Please. I can't sleep without you. It's like my whole world stopped. I need you back home. And after today, I realized that being away from you is bad for both of us. Be my strength while I fight my enemies."

She nodded and smiled sadly. "Yeah. I can do that. Besides, being around a newborn probably wouldn't be best for me right now."

Roy looked at his wife curiously. "Why?"

"Because I still want one. My body is telling me I want one, but my brain is telling me not to try again. I'm so conflicted. I have Ruth, that's enough." She looked to Roy. "We can hire a nanny or something so I can work with you again."

"No." He quietly murmured. "I talked to Grumman about it; he said he'd like to see a more family-oriented Furor. Bradley was nice, but he wasn't really public with his family. I want to show you off to the whole world."

"That puts us at risk," Riza whispered quietly.

He shook his head. "No. No one would hurt Ruth, and knowing you, no one would hurt you. They would be crazy to try." He kissed her hair. "Get some sleep. We ride tomorrow."

Riza nodded and looked up. "Thank you. For coming."

"All you had to do was ask me, I would have been on the first train here." He commented casually. "I love you that much. I skipped a meeting with a foreign dignitary from Youswell."

"I'm worth that much to you?" Riza questioned.

He nodded with a bright smile. "That much and then some."

* * *

Jeirjikjerklerltklerktlwekro tjaksjrkajwkerawer

I quit my job. Expect regular updates if I can ever get my head out of my buttocks and write something not-dramatic. Grr. **Read and review. I'm not updating until I have 5 this time.**


End file.
